2021News

Key political issues being debated in National Council of the Magistracy

The key issues the political parties are dealing with are on the table as the National Council of the Magistracy began the assessments of judges that seek to be named to the five judge positions and alternates in the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). Diario Libre made the point in its reporting on the participation of the first 19 aspirants in the assessments. The TSE is the higher court that rules on presidential, congressional and municipal electoral matters.

Among the key issues the aspirants were asked about were:
The legality of political candidates that lose with one political party moving on to compete for the nomination of another party.
If a legislator who wins a seat in Congress for one political party can switch parties once being elected to Congress.
If it is attribution of the Superior Administrative Court (TSA) to overrule decisions of the Central Electoral Board and the Superior Electoral Court to decide on the distribution of public funding for political parties.

Political parties fall under the guidelines provided by the Political Parties Law 33-18 and the Electoral Regime Law 15-19. But these laws have proved to be ambiguous and have required numerous decisions by the higher courts.

The assessments continue this week. There are 79 aspirants to the positions.

Current magistrates of the TSE Marcos Antonio Cruz García (interim president), Rafaelina Peralta, Ramón Arístides Madera Arias, Cristina Perdomo Hernández and Santiago Salvador Sosa Castillo seek the presidency or to be ratified in their positions.

he public hearings began on 13 July and will continue on Thursday 15, Friday 16 and Tuesday 20. If the schedule of interviews is carried out as planned, the CNM would be announcing the selection of judges and alternates for 22 July and swearing in the new members on 23 July.

Read more in
Diario Libre

14 July 2021