The plenary of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) met with 21 presidents of registered political parties on Thursday, 25 January 2018. The plenary session was an opportunity for the political parties to promote the passage of the electoral and political parties bills by the National Congress when the legislative session reopens on 27 February 2018.
The legislative session is scheduled to last for 150 days. The JCE says that if the legislators do not reach an agreement, the law entrusts the JCE with establishing the rules for the organization of the 2020 general elections. The president of the JCE, Julio Castaños Guzmán, said the JCE could rule on key issues such as the length of the campaign season, spending limits, and fair access to the media. He said there is a general agreement that graduate university students would be trained to work in the electoral stations in 2020.
The judges of the JCE also discussed with the political party heads the celebrating of preferential elections at the councilor level in the municipal elections be postponed for after the 2020 election.
Attending, among others, were former President Leonel Fernandez (president of the PLD), Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado (president of the PRD), Federico Antún (president of the PRSC), Guillermo Moreno (president of Al Pais), Andres Bautista (president of the PRM), Eduardo Estrella (president of DxC), Vinicio Castillo (president of the FNP), among others.
The meeting with the presidents of the political parties was convened to discuss the 2020 electoral calendar. It was agreed that the preparatory activities will start in September 2018. The election is scheduled for May 2020.
Read more in Spanish:
El Dia
30 January 2018
