“(…) We know that we will only elect 19 authorities of the 26 that should be elected, but no one should stay at home, everyone should exercise their right to vote and elect, choosing from the various options and avoiding the blank and null vote that leads to nothing,” he said.
Around 07:30 Bolivia time, Hassenteufel began the electoral day with a speech at the headquarters of the TSE, during an event attended by the Minister of Justice, César Siles, the members of the Electoral Body, national authorities, observers and other authorities, as well as international observers.
“Those who do not vote will not have the right to complain tomorrow, or even to issue a complaint about the poor functioning of the administration of justice, if that were the case,” he said.
More than 7.3 million voters were eligible to participate in the third judicial election held in Bolivia.
Initially, in October of this year, the TSE consolidated a total of 7 million 333 thousand 933 citizens eligible for these elections, initially scheduled for December 1.
However, after the rescheduling of the voting day for December 15, biometric registration was opened to new voters.
According to official data, 502 people who turned 18 between December 2 and 15, 2024, registered during the extraordinary registration day.
According to Hassenteufel, unlike the judicial elections of 2011 and 2017, this is the first one that will not be complete, because the self-extended Plurinational Constitutional Court (TCP) determined that it be partial, through constitutional ruling 0770/2024-S4.
As a result, only in Chuquisaca, La Paz, Oruro and Potosí will the authorities of the four instances be elected: the Council of the Judiciary (CM), the Agro-Environmental Court (TA), the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) and the TCP.
In Beni and Pando, only the authorities of the TA and the CM will be voted on; while in Santa Cruz, Cochabamba and Tarija, the candidates of the TA, CM and TSJ will be voted on.
Hassenteufel recalled that these elections should have been held in 2023, but due to various interests the Legislative Assembly was unable to complete the preselection process, while the TCP magistrates extended their mandate, which according to the Constitution ended on January 2.
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