Tatito Hernández remains out of the San Juan 3 controversy for the time being

The President of the House of Representatives, Rafael “Tatito” Hernández Montañez, announced this afternoon that he will wait for the settlement of the court case brought by the candidate for section 3 of the Victoria Ciudadana Movement (MVC), Eva Prados, before taking any legislative decision, among others. they the possibility of setting up a special commission to deal with the controversy.

Yesterday, MVC representative Mariana Nogales Molinelli asked Hernández Montañez in a letter to set up a special commission to resolve the situation. Nogales Molinelli is based on Article 10.17 of the Puerto Rico Electoral Code, which states that the Senate and the Chamber will be the sole judges of the legal capacity of their respective members, the validity of the minutes and the control of the election of their members. .

Prados was defeated in the election by Juan Oscar Morales of the New Progressive Party. Morales has already sworn.

“Lawyer Prados raises the existence of serious irregularities and the possible commission of crimes in different stages of the last electoral cycle. These irregularities are imputed both to the State Electoral Commission and to the private persons who intervened in the process. Specifically, Ms. Prados challenges the early voting and absentee voting arrangements to establish that there is sufficient evidence to support a change in the election result for section 3, “said Hernández Montañez.

“At this time, the House of Representatives will give full respect to the Judicial Branch, which will have the opportunity to examine the available evidence and the arguments presented by the parties.. However, this legislature will be vigilant and vigilant about the conduct of these events and will not surrender to its constitutional powers. Therefore, if the historic moment demands it, we will be ready to initiate a public and transparent process that protects the rights of all parties involved “, he added.

Prados claims that in the elections in which Morales was favored, there was fraud “in the ballot papers and in the vote which represents the indisputable fact of the existence of a higher number of votes cast than the valid voters registered in Unit 77 of that representative district”.

There were “fraudulent, negligent, negligent irregularities contrary to the applicable constitution, law and regulations, which entered the elections of the representative district no. 3 and which invalidates them ”, is shown in a part of the process.

Earlier this afternoon, Penepé minority spokesman Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez described Nogales Mollinelli’s petition as “electoral extremism”.

Méndez Núñez also claimed in written statements that the New Progressive delegation will oppose any attempt to use the Legislature to silence the will of the people, freely and democratically expressed in the vote.

“The people of San Juan spoke clearly and forcefully, electing Comrade Juan Oscar Morales as the representative of District no. 3 and Miguel Romero as its new mayor. There is no doubt about these results, however, the MVC applicants for these positions insisted on trying, because they will not achieve it, to sow doubts about the results, doubts where they do not exist. Juan Oscar won by over 130 votes and Miguel by 5,000. We have colleagues who have not been favored this time with less than 70 votes and no one has raised complaints about the process, because I know that these are the results. Enough to play electoral extremism, this is very dangerous in a democracy and should not be allowed, “said the PNP leader in the lower house.

“I will clarify this to everyone, we will not allow the Legislature to be used to undermine the will of an electorate, which will not happen. The PNP will defend, until the last consequences, the sacred oath. In a democracy, the sovereign is the people and they have already spoken. That the minimal majority of the Democratic People’s Party in the House of Representatives does not dare to try to change the results through obscure commissions or apologies, because they have more representatives, they have won less than Juan Oscar “, added Méndez Núñez.