“A history that repeats itself systematically”: Juan Manuel Galán on the irregularities of the scrutiny

Since last Sunday, March 13, when the elections for the Congress of the Republic were held in Colombia and the consultations of the various coalitions to elect the presidential candidates, social networks once again became the scene of different denunciations.

On digital platforms, users assured that on election day many could not vote because their identity document was not registered; from the outside some people said that when they came to vote there was already a record of voting with their document; and as in the elections four years ago they were reported anomalies on forms E-14.

The denunciations made cause the results already given to change and in this way the most benefited movement is the Historical Pact that would obtain a whole of 20 seats in the Senate. This has created a scenario of disagreement on the part of different opposition representatives, since they consider that an official recount should be made by the Registrar's Office.

Faced with the scenario of polarization and willingness, other voices have expressed their opinion on what happened and called for this not to happen again in future election scenarios. One of the representatives of the center and leader of the New Liberalism, also affected by the irregularities, Juan Manuel Galán spoke to W Radio and pointed out that this is a structural problem that has been going back a long time, but that until now is becoming evident.

“Everything that happened last Sunday is a story that is also repeated in Colombia systematically, that did not appear for the first time (...) the electoral system has a structural problem in Colombia that makes it complex for the elector, and that, in addition, does not allow citizens to have confidence,” noted the former candidate of the Centro Esperanza coalition.

On the other hand, Galán mentioned the call made by President Iván Duque on the Electoral Guarantees Bureau and noted that he is suspicious of the constant impact that the president has had in the electoral process.

“I am not calm because the president has been participating in politics, that generates a lot of mistrust (...) the president must marginalize himself from the campaign, he must keep his due as a constitutional position not to intervene in politics,” said the leader of the New Liberalism.

In addition, he added his opinion on what could happen in the first round of elections and showed his criticism in this way the political wingers, right and left, considering that the dispute between the parties could hinder the processes: “Part of the problem we have now is that from both ends they are trying to disqualify anything that happens with the electoral system to justify its defeat,” he added to his speech with the Colombian radio station.

Iván Duque and the Ministry of the Interior announce electoral guarantees table

The President of the Republic, Iván Duque, and the Minister of the Interior, Daniel Palacios, responded to requests to recount and rectify the election results of March 13 with an invitation to an electoral guarantee table.

The meeting was called for this Tuesday, March 22 and, according to Duque, it is cited “the electoral organization, the National Registry of Civil Status and the National Electoral Council, the national government, all political parties and movements by control agencies and electoral observers”.

The purpose of the guarantee table is that the electoral authorities can resolve doubts from the rest of the sectors “in front of those polling places related to the Senate election that have generated controversy”.

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