Despite the fact that this complaint has already generated controversy in the electoral body, in 2018, it has been a case in which the lack of follow-up places it again on the long list of complaints from the Prosecutor’s Office.
Juan Esteban Guarderas, member of the ‘Anti-corruption Foundation‘and former advisor to councilor Luis Verdesoto (in office until April 2021), presented a complaint, this Friday, November 12, against the president of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Diana Atamaint, of course influence peddling and electoral fraud in the 2019 CPCCS and Sectional Elections.
This complaint is related to the removal of José Astudillo, former provincial director of the CNE in Azuay, for a report of this body that was filter in December 2018, in which it is detailed that Diana Atamaint contacted Astudillo by phone to accept nominations of the Christian Social Party (PSC) outside the time established by the Democracy Code for Sectional Elections and the CPCCS.
José Astudillo said in 2019, in an interview with a digital medium, that there was a intimidation by Atamaint so that the documentation can be entered out of time.
Despite the fact that in 2018, the President of the CNE already ruled on this matter and only mentioned that Astudillo’s dismissal was not due to the leaking of the report but to ‘internal decisions’, she did not give more statements on the veracity of their pressure on the official.
Evidence
Esteban Guarderas served as advisor to the former counselor Lewis Verdesoto from November 2020 to April 2021, when the senior official submitted his resignation from office with the aim of retiring and returning to the academy.
In this period, Guarderas claims to have witnessed irregularities that were carried out within the CNE, “thanks to the investigations carried out by Luis Verdesoto’s counseling, I was able to collect all the signs of breaking off of the electoral systeml who have been presented today, “he said in an interview with this medium.
He added that the Foundation he represents will deliver documentation that shows irregularities in the CNE and that he hopes that the Prosecutor’s Office will investigate whether Astudillo’s removal “resulted in reprisal for his refusal to break the law.”
From the National Electoral Council (CNE) it was reported that the complaint is expected to enter the relevant institutions and, once the investigation, the agency will deliver all information necessary for the process. (MFU)
