PPD candidate for mayor of Guánica demands the EEC

The candidate for mayor of Guanica by the Democratic People’s Party (PPD), Ismael “Titi” Rodriguez Ramos filed a legal appeal today, Tuesday in which he appeared in the Court of First Instance of San Juan that left without effect a resolution of the President of the State Election Commission (EEC), Francisco Rosado Colomer that allowed more than 60 modalities of the number of Edgardo Cruz Vélez, who campaigned by direct nomination, to be recognized as valid votes.

Rodríguez Ramos argued that Rosado Colomer’s resolution is contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Code which provides that it is only valid by writing the full number of a candidate in the direct nomination.

Resolution CEE-AC-20-546 provides that Cruz Vélez would be counted for votes containing only his name, one of the surnames and even spelling errors.

Rodríguez Ramos’ lawyer, the PPD’s former electoral commissioner, Lind Orlando Merle Feliciano, maintains in the legal appeal that the regulation approved by the EEC is contrary to the Electoral Code because it allows variations in the name of the candidate under direct voting .

In addition, the lawyer claims that Rosado Colomer wines had to decide on the names found on the ballot and recognized Cruz Vélez as valid votes “57 additional names for a total of 64.”

“The instructions given by the president grant more rights to the citizen Edgardo Cruz than any other,” the legal appeal read.

Precisely today, Superior Judge Rebecca de León Ríos, of the Court of San Juan, ordered the filing of another lawsuit by Rodríguez Ramos against the EEC in which he requested the revocation of Resolution CEE-RS-20- 167 which provides that the general scrutiny of Precinct 048 in Guánica, would be done in accordance with the Rules and Criteria for the Manual Adjudication of Ballots.

In this case, the popular candidate argued that the resolution would exceed the powers of the EEC by approving and adopting a regulation in violation of the Electoral Code. The court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction and that the case is not justifiable prematurely.

Currently, the mayor of Guánica is disputed between Cruz Vélez, Rodríguez Ramos and the incumbent, Santos Seda.