Carlos Fernández Bielsa’s candidacy announced on Thursday that it will appeal the resolution of the PSPV Guarantees Committee to repeat the voting process for the secretary general of the socialists in the province of Valencia in the groups of the towns of Manuel, Corbera, and Llíria.
The Guarantees Committee also ordered an informative file to be opened on the process in the Sedaví group, after which it will decide whether it is necessary to repeat this vote.
Excluding those four municipalities, the number of registered PSPV voters is 9,171, with 6,725 votes cast, 11 null, and 37 blank. In favor of Carlos Fernández Bielsa, 3,366 votes and Roberto Raga, 3,322, that is, a difference of 44.
According to a statement from Bielsa’s candidacy on Thursday, the decision of the Guarantees Committee to repeat these votes «lacks any legal basis and may be an attempt to subvert the will of the members expressed democratically at the polls.»
The PSPV-PSOE Guarantees Committee had provisionally proclaimed Carlos Fernández Bielsa as secretary general of the party in the province on Sunday after defeating Robert Raga, the other candidate in the primaries, by 33 votes.
However, on Tuesday, the National Ethics Committee of the PSPV-PSOE analyzed a series of incidents in the polling stations of Manuel, Corbera, Paterna, and Llíria. In the first two cases, the scrutiny report shows one more vote than the total number of voters; in Paterna, it was found that within the same envelope there were two ballots, one for Bielsa and the other blank. That vote has been declared null.
In Llíria, the proxy for Fernández Bielsa’s candidacy challenged the process for non-compliance with the schedule and possible violation of the voting process in the municipal group, due to the closure of the headquarters at noon, a period during which it was claimed that the ballot box was not guarded by anyone and, consequently, manipulation or alteration of the votes or the procedure could have occurred.
Regarding Corbera and Manuel, the Table officials pointed out the possibility that one of the voting envelopes could have two attached ballots, without anyone being aware of the fact. In these two cases, the Committee deemed it appropriate to repeat the vote, as in Llíria because there is no provision for the suspension of the schedule, except for exceptional cases or force majeure. Thus, a new call for a repeat vote is considered legal due to the small difference in votes between both candidates and the fact that voters were unable to exercise their right.
SEDAVÍ
In Sedaví, Roberto Raga’s candidacy submitted a letter to the National Ethics Committee on March 4, stating that they had become aware of an «irregularity» in the polling station. In this case, it was alleged that a member «had admitted to inserting five or six votes from people who he knew would not attend the group to vote» into the ballot box and provided an audio recording and its «literal transcription, indicating that, from its content, it was inferred that those votes would have been in favor of Bielsa’s candidacy.»
The Committee decided to investigate the matter and, based on the outcome, will request the annulment of the process and a repeat.
Bielsa’s candidacy firmly rejected any connection on Thursday with the content of the alleged audio in the complaint and stated that they had no representative in that Sedaví group. They claimed that the person attributed to the audio, which «could be manipulated,» is not part of their candidacy and has not served as an auditor or participated in any event related to Bielsa.
«INVEROSÍMIL»
It also considers it «absolutely implausible» that in an electoral table belonging to a group «clearly in favor of the rival candidacy,» five votes could be fraudulently introduced without anyone noticing. This hypothesis lacks all logic and foundation, as stated in the press release.
Additionally, they argue that this position is supported by the fact that not even the Guarantees Committee considered it necessary to repeat the vote, understanding that no irregularities have been proven.
Bielsa’s candidacy emphasizes that «the majority of the challenges» refer to groups where Robert Raga prevailed and defends «respect for the will expressed at the polls by the PSPV membership last Sunday.»
«It is completely inappropriate to try to cast doubt on the process by creating a sense of chaos that does not actually exist, and that only seeks to delegitimize democratically endorsed results and undermine the will of the members,» they state.
