Politics

Argentina’s Electoral Tribunal rejects accusations of irregularities by Milei’s entourage

Buenos Aires, October 22 (EFE) – The entourage of presidential candidate Javier Milei said it had received thousands of complaints of irregularities during Sunday’s presidential election, but the Electoral Tribunal responded that complaints must be filed formally and cannot be made anonymously.

“The National Electoral Chamber informs citizens that the irregularities, errors or crimes that occurred during election day must be denounced through the legal channels provided. That is, in person, before the polling station authorities, electoral delegates, federal electoral courts and federal electoral prosecutors,” reads the statement issued this Sunday.

The electoral authorities advised citizens who have evidence of any irregularity to report it in the portal provided by the National Electoral Justice.

“All complaints require – as a must – the identification of the person making the complaint (anonymous complaints are not valid). Alternative channels offered by political groups, candidates or individuals, which do not validate the identity of the person making the complaint, lack legal validity and could hinder the prevention, resolution and sanctioning of the denounced maneuver,” the statement emphasized.

The electoral authority’s statement was issued after the electoral campaign of presidential candidate Javier Milei, of La Libertad Avanza (Freedom Advances), opened an “ad hoc” website for voters to file “anonymous complaints” about irregularities in polling stations across the country. Within minutes, a flood of messages arrived.

In addition, on Javier Milei’s official website, a banner with the title “Reception of Complaints for the 2023 Elections” appeared, along with a picture of the Libertad Avanza presidential candidate and a form to report missing ballots, false auditors and “other reasons”. This triggered the reaction of the Electoral Tribunal.

Shortly after the polling stations opened their doors at 8:00 a.m. (11:00 GMT), the candidate for head of government of the city of Buenos Aires for Milei’s party, Ramiro Marra, published a message on social media in which he advised: “If you have seen any irregularity or damage to the ballots of @LibertadAvanza, please comment here with your polling station. There are not even 4 hours of voting and we are already inundated with messages denouncing irregularities.”

The far-right candidate’s entourage had already hinted at the possibility of a possible challenge after the primaries held last August 13. “It is not the idea, but we do not exclude anything. In the PASO (mandatory simultaneous open primaries), we lost five points because of the oversight,” they said.

Later, after the polls closed at 6:00 p.m. (21:00 GMT), La Libertad Avanza spokesman Guillermo Francos told the press that they had received 4,500 complaints of irregularities and broken ballots.

The advisor of Milei, who could be Minister of the Interior in a hypothetical government, made this statement based on the testimony of his electoral auditors, representatives appointed by the political groups participating in the elections. EFE mf-mp/ics

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