Controversy continues to grow in the country over the ruling of the Superior Court of Bogotá that ordered the compulsory attendance of the presidential candidates Gustavo Petro and Rodolfo Hernández to a debate before the second round that will take place this Sunday.
Many sectors have warned that this is an absurd judicial decision, because no one can force an applicant to attend a debate of this nature.
Also read: Rodolfo Hernández requests clarification of the Court ruling that orders him to go to debate
In the middle of this discussion, a response was known that the National Electoral Council (CNE) gave to former representative Ángela María Robledo, who had filed a request for Rodolfo Hernández to be forced to discuss his proposals with Gustavo Petro.
The highest authority in electoral matters in the country affirmed, in a resolution issued on June 8, that no applicant can be forced to attend a debate.
According to the CNE, the political parties and movements that register candidates for the Presidency, “will have the right, among others, to hold three (3) debates, however, the rule does not establish that said activity is mandatory, hence, requesting the presidential candidate to attend these has no basis whatsoever, however, these are carried out by and at the request of the presidential candidates or some of them”.
Because of this, the electoral court decided to deny the request that Ángela María Robledo had filed and other leaders for the corporation to order candidate Hernández to participate in a debate before the second round.
“Deny the request filed by the citizens Ángela María Robledo, Diana Otavo Morales, Juana Afanador, Viviana Vargas Vives, Martha Lucía Ortiz Cárdenas and Ana María Sánchez Ospina in which they urge this Corporation to request the presidential candidate Rodolfo Hernández to participate in the electoral debates provided for in Law 996 of 2005, in accordance with what is stated in the motivational part”, indicates the decision.
Candidate Rodolfo Hernández, faced with the tutela ruling that ordered the holding of a presidential debate this week, decided file an appeal for clarification of this sentence, in order to comply with it.
This was the decision:
