Plurinational Electoral Organ
The Plurinational Electoral Organ is the independent electoral branch of the government of Bolivia. It replaced the National Electoral Court in 2010. The branch consists of the 7-member Supreme Electoral Tribunal, the nine Departmental Electoral Tribunals, Electoral Judges, the anonymously selected Juries at Election Tables, and Electoral Notaries,[1] as well as three operative branches. Its operations are mandated by the Constitution and regulated by the Electoral Regime Law (Law 026). The seat of the Organ and of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal are in La Paz; while the ruling MAS-IPSP party offered the headquarters to Sucre during the controversy over capital status during the 2006–07 Constituent Assembly, negotiations were inconclusive. In June 2010, the Bolivian Senate rejected calls from Chuquisaca parliamentarians to place the headquarters in Sucre.[2]
The Organ's operative branches are the Civil Register Service (Spanish: Servicio de Registro Cívico, Sereci), the Intercultural Service for Strengthening Democracy (Spanish: Servicio Intercultural de Fortalecimiento Democrático, Sifde), and the Technical Unit for Oversight (Spanish: Unidad Técnica de Fiscalización, UTF). The Civil Register Service is charged with continually maintaining the electoral rolls and consolidates the functions of registering birth, marriage, death, biometric identification, and residence.[3] The UTF audits and ensures the transparency of parties and political organizations.[4]
The first election to be supervised by the new Organ was the judicial elections of late 2011, followed by special municipal elections.
Supreme Electoral Tribunal
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal oversees elections nationwide. It consists of seven members, six of whom are chosen by the Plurinational Legislative Assembly and one designated by the President. There are also six alternate members chosen by the Assembly. The members of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal are[5][6] as follows:
| Name | Office | Designated by | Term Began | Background[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilfredo Ovando | President | President Evo Morales | 15 August 2010 | |
| Irineo Valentín Zuna | Plurinational Legislative Assembly | 15 August 2010 | Indigenous, born in Oruro. Engineer. | |
| Ramiro Paredes | Plurinational Legislative Assembly | 15 August 2010 | From Sud Yungas, La Paz. Economist, master's degree in Economic Development. | |
| Wilma Velasco | Plurinational Legislative Assembly | 15 August 2010 | From Potosí. Lawyer, with degree in Constituctional Law and Law concerning Minors. | |
| Fanny Rosario Rivas Rojas | Plurinational Legislative Assembly | January 2011 | Indigenous, from Santa Cruz department. Lawyer, with a postgraduate degree in Higher Education. | |
| Dina Agustina Chuquimia Alvarado | Plurinational Legislative Assembly | January 2011 | Born in La Paz. Social communicator, with a postgraduate degree in Higher Education. | |
| Marco Daniel Ayala Soria | Plurinational Legislative Assembly | January 2011 | Born in Cochabamba. Lawyer with a masters in Environmental Law. | |
References
- ↑ "Posesionan a cuatro Vocales del Tribunal Supremo Electoral". La Jornada. 2010-08-16. Retrieved 2011-04-28.
- ↑ "Senado: La Paz será sede del Órgano Electoral Plurinacional". La Razón. 2010-06-01. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
- ↑ "Una apuesta decisiva: el Servicio de Registro Cívico". La Razón. 2010-04-24. pp. E9.
- ↑ Bustillos Zamorano, Iván (2011-04-24). "La hora de la democracia intercultural". La Razón. pp. E10. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
- ↑ "Posesionan a cuatro Vocales del Tribunal Supremo Electoral". La Jornada. 2010-08-16. Retrieved 2011-04-28.
- ↑ Mealla, Luis (2011-01-14). "El TSE consolida su Sala Plena después de 6 meses de espera". Página Siete. Retrieved 2011-04-28.
- ↑ "Senador Adolfo Mendoza Leigue: Asamblea completó elección de vocales del Tribunal Supremo Electoral respetando equidad de género y representación de pueblos indígenas". Senador Adolfo Mendoza Leigue. 2011-01-17. Retrieved 2012-03-02.