Paraguay's Electoral Tribunal to Review Voting Machines Ahead of Internal Elections

In the lead-up to Paraguay's simultaneous internal elections scheduled for June, the Superior Electoral Justice Tribunal (TSJE) is set to conduct a special technical review of the voting machines. This initiative, planned for the upcoming week, is a direct response to formal requests lodged by the country's two major political forces, the Asociación Nacional Republicana (ANR, or Colorado Party) and the Partido Liberal Radical Auténtico (PLRA). The TSJE's decision aims to provide reassurance to the internal factions within these parties as they prepare for their respective electoral contests.

Christian Ruiz Díaz, the TSJE's Director of Political Financing, detailed the operational framework for these review sessions. Technicians designated by the ANR's internal movements will have access on Monday and Tuesday, while those from the PLRA are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, following a similar request from the PLRA's Independent Electoral Tribunal. Ruiz Díaz emphasized that this process is strictly a "technical review" and not an official audit, clarifying that formal methodological and comprehensive audits have already been completed according to the established schedule.

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During the entire month of February, more than 40 technicians representing different political organizations participated, including two from the Colorado Party, applying all technical rigor.

Ruiz Díaz also addressed and debunked certain circulating reports suggesting that the Electoral Justice had suspended an internal audit of the ANR. He explained that the TSJE was unaware of the ANR's internal electoral schedule when they were consulted about attending an audit at the ANR's headquarters. The TSJE's position was that they could not attend as they were conducting their own audit at the central headquarters with representatives from all political organizations. This clarification aims to dispel any notion of preferential treatment or procedural irregularities.

For internal movements seeking to participate in these review sessions, the procedure involves submitting lists of attendees to their respective party electoral tribunals, which will then forward the information to the TSJE for accreditation. This structured approach ensures that the review process is managed efficiently and transparently, allowing political parties to verify the integrity of the voting machines before the crucial internal elections that will shape the political landscape.

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The Colorado Party, in the same period, marked in its internal electoral schedule an audit at the headquarters of said political organization. As we had no knowledge of what they decided in their electoral schedule, when they consulted us if we were going to attend the ANR to conduct the audit, we told them that we could not, because we were carrying out our audit here at central headquarters with all political organizations. So, it is not also that the Electoral Justice suspended an audit of the ANR.