According to M?ximo D?az and Wanda M?ndez of the List?n
Diario, the statement released yesterday by Roberto Rosario, one of the judges
on the Central Electoral Board (JCE), could be a prelude to a new political
crisis. The Central Electoral Board is the governmental authority in charge of
organizing the presidential elections in May 2004. Rosario said that some
decisions were being made without the awareness of all JCE members, and this, in
turn, could affect the credibility and legitimacy of the electoral board and
system. This questioning of some of the decisions taken by Luis Arias, the chief
judge of the Electoral Board, are the first to come to light since the forced
resignation of the former chief magistrate, Manuel Ram?n Morel Cerda.
In a telephone interview with the reporters, Rosario said that the judges are
not obliged to reach a consensus on any given issue, but that all matters before
the board should be presented to its full panel of judges before arriving at any
decision. Most of Rosario?s complaints have to do with personnel issues.