Activists Demanded That the Electoral Tribunal Clean up the Questioned Registry

The lack of credibility in the electoral roll has sown doubts among the population about the results of elections held in the country. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has become an organization that responds to the interests of the government without guaranteeing clean elections. Allegations of fraud persist, and various sectors have demanded a real and independent audit.

The electoral fraud scandal of 2019 caused a political and social crisis. Since then, transparency in the elections has been questioned. The lack of concrete actions by the TSE reinforces the suspicion that the roll continues to be used as an instrument of political manipulation.

More than 200 social organizations have proposed to clean up the roll within three weeks. According to the proponents, the cleanup would not have costs for the State and would be based on biometric validation and the implementation of the identity card with a QR code. This method would prevent the registration of deceased persons and double voting.

The plan contemplates that the TSE sends the General Personal Identification Service (Segip) a complete list of voters organized by polling station. This information cross-check would allow identifying inconsistencies and purging dubious records. Despite the technical feasibility, the TSE has shown no interest in implementing it.

The use of the QR would allow electoral juries to verify the identity of each citizen on the spot. However, this application was deactivated a year ago without clear explanations. The  lack of political will to reactivate it reinforces suspicions that the government seeks to maintain control of the electoral process without allowing transparency mechanisms.

Besides the TSE, the proposal has been sent to the Executive Committee of the Bolivian University and the Bolivian Episcopal Conference. This week, the promoters plan to present it to other instances. However, the ruling party and its allies in the TSE have shown little interest in considering measures that affect their hegemony in the electoral apparatus.

Joshua Bellot Sáenz, coordinator of the proposal, explained that the TSE should make QR verification mandatory at each polling station. This way, it would prevent identity theft and manipulation of results. However, to date, there are no concrete responses from the electoral institution.

The cleanup of the roll was discussed at the recent Multiparty Meeting for Democracy. At this event, the TSE committed to conducting a technical verification of the register but without clear deadlines or guarantees of independence. Universities, political parties, and civic organizations question the lack of concrete actions and denounce that the electoral body continues to act in the interests of the government.

Little credibility in the TSE's work

The TSE has promised verification actions, but these do not generate trust. At the recent Multiparty and Interinstitutional Meeting for Democracy, the institution assured that it would conduct an audit, but without guaranteeing the participation of independent international organizations. This has increased doubts about its impartiality.

The former leader of the false opposition, Carlos Mesa, has criticized the lack of transparency and demands real audits. He proposed reallocating electoral propaganda funds to finance a rapid counting system and an independent audit. However, the TSE still shows no willingness to clarify the irregularities in the roll.

The TSE's member, Tahuichi Tahuichi, stated that international collaboration would be sought to validate the voter register. However, he did not mention concrete deadlines or guarantee that the review would be conducted by impartial entities. This lack of definitions generates more distrust among the population.

Rodrigo Fuenzalida, president of the Interinstitutional Committee for the Census, warned that the electoral roll has already been used to favor the Movement for Socialism (MAS). He assured that the 2019 fraud is proof of this and that the cleanup of the roll can't be postponed any longer.

Bolivians are called to vote on August 17, and the electoral roll remains a source of uncertainty. With more than 7.3 million people eligible and a massive registration scheduled between April 15 and 29, the risk of irregularities is latent. If the TSE doesn't take urgent measures, the legitimacy of the next electoral process will be seriously compromised.

Different sectors have requested the presence of international organizations such as the OAS and the European Union to ensure an impartial audit. However, the government and the TSE have not shown signs of accepting this supervision. This reinforces the perception that the electoral roll will continue to be a tool of political manipulation.

The August elections will be a decisive test for democracy in Bolivia. If the electoral roll is not purged with total transparency, the country could face a new political crisis. The lack of concrete responses from the TSE only deepens the population's distrust in the electoral system.