Tatito Hernández remains out of the controversy over San Juan’s Precinct 3 for now

The President of the House of Representatives, Rafael “Tatito” Hernández Montañez, announced this afternoon that he will await the resolution of the lawsuit filed by the candidate for Precinct 3 of the Victoria Ciudadana Movement (MVC), Eva Prados, before making a decision. legislative, including the possibility of establishing a special commission to deal with the controversy.

Yesterday, the MVC representative, Mariana Nogales Molinelli, wrote to Hernández Montañez asking to set up a special commission to resolve the situation. Nogales Molinelli relies on Article 10.17 of Puerto Rico’s electoral law, which states that the Senate and the Chamber will be the sole judges of the jurisdiction of their respective members, of the validity of the minutes and of the review of their election. members. .

Prados was outnumbered by Juan Oscar Morales, of the New Progressive Party. Morales has already sworn.

Lawyer Prados raises the existence of serious irregularities and the possible commission of crimes at various stages of the past electoral cycle. These irregularities are attributed to the State Election Commission as well as to individuals who intervened in the process. In particular, Ms. Prados is challenging the early and absentee voting modalities to determine that there is sufficient evidence to support a change in the election results for Precinct 3, “said Hernández Montañez.

“At this point, the House will fully respect the judiciary, which will have the opportunity to examine the available evidence and the arguments of the parties.. However, this legislative body will be attentive and vigilant about the development of these events and will not surrender to its constitutional powers. Therefore, if the historic moment requires it, we will be ready to initiate a public and transparent process that protects the rights of all parties involved, ”he added.

Prados claims that in the election in which Morales was preferred, there was fraud “in the ballots and voting, which represents the indisputable fact of the existence of a greater number of votes awarded than the validly registered voters in Unit 77 of that. representative district. “

There were “fraudulent, culpable, negligent irregularities, and contrary to constitution, law and applicable regulations, permeating and invalidating the elections of Representative District No. 3,” part of the lawsuit reads.

Earlier this afternoon, Penepé minority spokesman Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez described Nogales Mollinelli’s petition as “electoral extremism”.

Méndez Núñez also claimed in written statements that the New Progressive delegation will oppose any attempt to use the legislative power to silence the will of the people, freely and democratically expressed in the elections.

The people of San Juan spoke clearly and forcefully and chose Comrade Juan Oscar Morales as the representative of District # 3 and Miguel Romero as the new mayor. There is no doubt about these results, but the MVC applicants in those positions have insisted that since they will not achieve it, they should raise doubts about the results, doubts where there are none. Juan Oscar won with more than 130 votes and Miguel with 5,000. We have colleagues who were not preferred this time with less than 70 votes and no one has filed complaints about the process because they know these are the results. Playing enough electoral extremism is very dangerous in a democracy and is not allowed, ‘said the PNP leader in the House of Representatives.

“I am going to make this very clear to everyone, we are not going to allow the legislature to be used to undermine the will of a voter, that is not going to happen. The PNP will defend the sacred vow to the last consequences. In a democracy, the sovereign is the people and they have already spoken. That the minimal majority of the People’s Democratic Party in the House of Representatives does not dare to try to change the results by means of unclear committees or apologies because they have several sitting representatives, they have sworn for less than Juan Oscar, ”said Méndez Núñez.