The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) announced on Wednesday (24) that it will no longer send observers to the presidential elections in Venezuela, scheduled for next Sunday (28). The decision of the electoral court was motivated by the recent criticism of the Brazilian electronic voting machines by dictator Nicolás Maduro. The TSE had been invited by the National Electoral Council of Venezuela (CNE) to monitor the votes in the country.
“In the face of false statements against Brazilian electronic voting machines, which, contrary to what is stated by Venezuelan authorities, are auditable and secure, the Superior Electoral Court will not send technicians to respond [ao] invitation made by the National Electoral Commission of that country to follow the election next Sunday”, informed the TSE in a statement.
At an election rally this Tuesday (23), the autocrat said that Venezuela has “the best electoral system in the world” and that, in Brazil, elections are not audited.
“Here we have 16 audits. Where else in the world do they do this? In the United States? Is the electoral system auditable? In Brazil? They don’t audit any ballots. In Colombia? They don’t audit any ballots,” he said during a speech to a Chavista audience.
The statements were interpreted as campaign speeches. Itamaraty, as found out by People’s Gazettedecided that it would not take a position on the issue. The TSE, on the other hand, responded to the Venezuelan’s criticisms.
“The President of the Superior Electoral Court [Cármen Lúcia] stated today that it is false that Brazilian electronic voting machines are not audited. They are auditable and permanently audited, and are safe, as has been shown historically. No error or instability in their operation has ever been demonstrated,” the statement said.
“The Brazilian Electoral Court does not accept that, internally or externally, through statements or acts that are disrespectful to the fairness of the Brazilian electoral process, the seriousness and integrity of elections and electronic voting machines in Brazil are disqualified with lies,” further states the TSE’s position sent to People’s Gazette. Read the TSE statement in full below.
TSE had already changed its mind about elections in Venezuela
On May 17, Brazil received an invitation from the CNE, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to send observers to monitor the Venezuelan presidential election. Initially, the decision was that the country would not send representatives from the government. But the scenario has changed in recent weeks.
The TSE reversed its decision and had decided to send two representatives to monitor the voting in Venezuela. Sandra Damiani and José de Melo Cruz, experts in electoral systems, were the names indicated by the Electoral Court. The TSE employees would participate in the process as “international guests” – which is different from observers and there is no objective of them producing reports to attest to the legitimacy of the election.
In June, the Electoral Court declined the CNE’s invitation, citing the approaching municipal elections. “All activities of the Electoral Court are focused on the safe, transparent and accessible conduct of these elections,” the Electoral Court said last month.
After the change in the presidency of the TSE, which was taken over by STF minister Cármen Lúcia, on the 3rd, the body changed its mind and decided to send representatives to Venezuela. In a note released last week, the Electoral Court informed that “the presence of international observers aims to ensure that the electoral process takes place in a climate of transparency, impartiality and legality, with a view to ensuring the credibility of the election results”.
The attacks made by Nicolás Maduro, however, led the minister to take a new decision and cancel the sending of TSE observers to Venezuela.
Read the TSE’s full statement on Nicolás Maduro’s attacks:
“The president of the Superior Electoral Court stated today that it is false that Brazilian electronic voting machines are not audited. They are auditable and permanently audited, and they are safe, as has been shown historically. No error or instability in their operation has ever been demonstrated.
In Brazilian democracy, voters’ votes are free and democratically guaranteed through a transparent process, with proven fairness and excellence, which ensures Brazilians’ trust in the adopted system.
The Brazilian Electoral Court is committed to ensuring that voters have full respect for their freedom of choice in political representation, which is why it provides full security to the electronic ballot box. Democracy is the beginning and the end of the incessant, committed and proven superior work of the national electoral system.
To state a lie about the reliability of the Brazilian electronic ballot box, which – it should be reiterated – is auditable and secure, is to sow an unacceptable affront to the seriousness, security and full publicity of the electoral process in Brazil, carried out with integrity, austerity and efficiency for the continuous strengthening of democracy.
In the face of false statements against Brazilian electronic voting machines, which, contrary to what was stated by Venezuelan authorities, are auditable and secure, the Superior Electoral Court will not send technicians to respond to an invitation made by the National Electoral Commission of that country to monitor next Sunday’s election.
The Brazilian Electoral Court does not accept that, internally or externally, through statements or acts that are disrespectful to the fairness of the Brazilian electoral process, the seriousness and integrity of elections and electronic voting machines in Brazil are disqualified with lies.“
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