According to Judge Eduardo Valdés, the details of the study of the application prepared for this purpose To the sections of applicants for the free application will be announced before the end of this month.
The TE vice president in charge of the general election plan said the signatures were not forged, but rather citizens’ notes that did not comply with the rules of use; that is, there was no evidence of fraud.
He stated that there was evidence that some activists did not meet all the requirements set out in the application for certification of registration. “After the application biometrically assesses the person, a video is taken of the citizen supporting the candidate. In that video, you have to see the person’s face clearly and it has to be clear that you’re supporting a candidate,” he noted.
Due to disagreements, the TE ordered the temporary suspension of use of the application last October and also requested a review of support through use of the app.
However, on May 19, independent pre-candidate Maribel Gordón filed a complaint alleging procedural irregularities.
The economist representing progressive forces sent a letter to TE judges in that consultation on May 5, 2024, calling for an investigation into what is a prelude to fraud.
Gordón, who has already moved up to third place among those candidates, overtaking Francisco Carreira – only the three with the most signatures take part in the election – expressed in the letter his concerns about alleged “inconsistencies” in the platform for collecting signatures .
This situation is worrying and adds another element of uncertainty and doubt about the purity of the May 5, 2024 elections, the statement said.
In addition, he believed that this situation shows that the systems of the electoral court are seriously compromised by constant failures and irregularities and, in our opinion, are vulnerable to cyber attacks and even corrupt management.
The process of collecting signatures for the presidential candidates as part of a free application runs until July 31 next year.
On May 5, 2024, Panamanians will vote for the country’s new president and vice president, 20 members of the Central American Parliament and 71 members of the National Assembly.
With the vote, they will also elect 81 mayors, 701 corregimiento representatives and 11 city councillors, all with their respective deputies, for the period from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2029.
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