An editorial in Diario Libre today observes that the Political Parties Law talks about “simultaneous” carrying out of primaries using the Central Electoral Board (JCE) voting list, meaning at least two parties need to choose this modality for it to happen. The editorial makes the point that while the ruling political party, the PLD, this week became the first political party to file its intention to carry out the open simultaneous primaries, it is not known which other political party will do the same. The largest opposition party, the PRM, has said they will use their own voting list of PRM members.
The Political Parties Law establishes that the parties need to pay for these from the funds they receive from the Central Electoral Board. The Diario Libre editorial speculates that political parties may decide not to go with the open primaries modality because of its high cost. The parties have until 6 December 2018 to communicate their methodology for candidate selection to the Central Electoral Board.
The Political Parties Law authorized political parties to choose the modality for their selection of their candidates, opening up the possibility to choose these with open primaries or even polling.
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
31 October 2018
