Political movements strive to maintain legal status

A month after the call to the local elections of 2014, the political organizations that did not reach 4% of the valid vote in the elections last February, look for candidates and alliances to achieve the required percentage to avoid being eliminated and continue with their legal status.

According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), Sociedad Unida Más Acción party (SUMA) won 3.76% of the vote, followed by Partido Renovador Institucional Acción Nacional (Prian) with 3.06%; then Ruptura with 2.12% and the Partido Socialista Frente Amplio with 1.69%.

The Democracy Code, in Article 327, paragraph 3, states that the CNE will cancel the registration of the organizations if they don’t  get the mandarory percentage of the valid votes in two consecutive multi-person elections nationwide, or at least that number of seats. It also gives other parameters: 8% of municipalities (it means 17 in the country), or a councilor in each of at least 10% of the cantons (ie in 22 cantons of 221).

Mauricio Rodas, from SUMA movement, says they are working  on the structure and the searching of candidates to achieve a good amount of votes so they can exceed the rate established by the Code of Democracy.

Freddy Bravo, Prian, says that the party is having discussions  prior to the selection of applicants.

The Socialist Party, however, works to run in alliance with the ruling party Alianza PAIS (AP) and Avanza, while Ruptura are working  to strengthen their bases in the cantons and parishes.