Jeanine Áñez accused TCP member Tahuichi Tahuichi of favoring Evo Morales.

Former President Jeanine Áñez rejected the statements of the member of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Tahuichi Tahuichi. The member stated a few days ago that the validity of the Frente Para la Victoria (FPV) and the Partido de Acción Nacional Boliviano (PAN-BOL) was possible thanks to a law approved during her administration. Áñez accused the member of acting with bias and indirectly benefiting the former dictator Evo Morales.

The FPV signed an agreement with Evo Morales to nominate him in the general elections on the upcoming August 17. According to Tahuichi, this party and PAN-BOL should have lost their legal status after the 2020 elections for not reaching the minimum 3% of votes. However, according to him, Law 1315, enacted during Áñez's interim government, allowed their continuity.

Áñez replied to these statements through her account on the social network X. In her message, she denied that the regulation had that objective and accused the electoral members of hiding their inaction under political excuses. "Do not hide behind a political prisoner former president to conceal the cowardice of fulfilling your obligation to uphold the Constitution and the law," she wrote.

Law 1315 was enacted in 2020 to amend Law 1297 and allow the postponement of elections due to the pandemic. In its additional provision, it established that, exceptionally, Article 58 of Law 1096, which regulates the cancellation of legal status due to low electoral results, would not be considered.

Tahuichi argued that, thanks to this regulation, FPV and PAN-BOL avoided their dissolution. However, Áñez rejected that interpretation and accused the member of throwing "lifelines" to parties that do not meet the legal requirements to exist. The former authority added that  the law was only valid in that election due to the pandemic.

The member's statements have caused criticism from various sectors. Agustín Zambrana, vice president of the Pro Santa Cruz Committee, questioned his impartiality and suggested that his actions are more political than technical. "Tahuichi acts as a politician within the Electoral Body. He should decide whether he will continue as a member or be a candidate in the elections," demanded Zambrana.

Division within the Supreme Electoral Tribunal?

Meanwhile, the TSE member, Gustavo Ávila, clarified that Tahuichi's stance is a personal opinion. He added that the decision on the validity of the legal status of FPV and PAN-BOL will be made in Plenary Session.

According to Ávila, any ruling must be framed within what the Constitution and current laws establish. He also reminded that the Supreme Electoral Tribunal is composed of seven members and that resolutions are made by majority.

The debate over the legal status of political parties remains open. Analyst Carlos Cordero warned that Bolivia is facing a possible political change, as several traditional fronts could disappear if they do not participate in the upcoming elections. Among them are the Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario (MNR), Acción Democrática Nacionalista (ADN), and Unidad Nacional (UN).

The TSE announced that the deadline for parties to update their leaderships is March 20. So far, FPV, PAN-BOL, and ADN have not met this requirement, which could lead to new sanctions.

Meanwhile, tensions between the Electoral Body and political actors continue to rise. Áñez demanded guarantees for a transparent electoral process and proposed the need for a cleaned-up electoral roll. She also suggested a Rapid Transmission of Results (TREP) system operating at 100% and a mandatory debate between candidates.

The recent statements by the TSE members have raised concerns about the impartiality of the electoral body. The affinity of some authorities with certain political actors casts doubt on the independence of the process and the public's trust in the upcoming elections.

In a democracy, the transparency and neutrality of electoral referees are essential to guarantee the legitimacy of the results. The TSE will manage to dispel suspicions and act with the impartiality that the public demands.