Spanish
The president of the National Elections Jury (JNE), Roberto Burneo, declared this Tuesday that he has received threats against his integrity, as well as other members of that electoral body, as a result of the criminal actions initiated against people who have maliciously opposed the registration of alliances and political parties with a view to the general elections of 2026.
In a press conference, Burneo reported that almost half of the challenges (objections) presented to the JNE have been promoted by one person, identified by the press as Percy Moreano, which is why he has been reported to the Lima Bar Association.
"We have received direct threats against our integrity, insulting us, for this independent action" carried out by the JNE, Burneo indicated.
In this regard, the president of the highest electoral court confirmed that the prosecutor (state attorney) of the electoral jury has initiated criminal proceedings against him.
The JNE has registered three electoral alliances and 36 political organizations for the presidential and legislative elections on April 12th of next year, which means that there will be more than 10,000 candidates, an unprecedented figure for an electoral process in Peru.
However, in recent weeks there was a person who filed 10 of the 24 challenges against the requested registration of the numerous political organizations and electoral alliances, using a registration method before the National Superintendency of Public Registries (Sunarp) to "appropriate" the names chosen by the political groups.
The challenge of a debate with 39 candidates
Burneo pointed out that the voter registration will close on October 14th and that all candidates for the elections will be officially announced on December 23rd, after the organizations comply with their designation internally.
The highest electoral authority stated that it will be "a great challenge" to be able to organize a public debate between the presidential candidates because "there is no comparable experience in the world that has organized a debate with 39 political organizations".
He recalled that in the 2021 elections there were around 18 political organizations and the candidates came together in three blocs, but that the 2026 process "we still have to think about and dimension."
"We are going to ensure that there is no bias and that there is the absolute participation of all political organizations," he affirmed.
Regarding the judicial resolution that has ordered the JNE to register the Unidad Popular party, of former Supreme Judge Duberlí Rodríguez, the head of the JNE announced that they will file a jurisdictional demand before the Constitutional Court (TC) so that this jurisdictional body "sets the rules clear".
"The decisions of the JNE are unreviewable, any disruption of the electoral calendar affects the success of the elections," Burneo emphasized.
Jury member Willy Ramírez detailed that the court ruling wants to force the JNE to go back in time and that the registration of the new party be prior to last April 12, when the deadline expired.
"We are confident that the TC, with its independence, will understand the fundamentals and guarantee the validity of the Constitution regarding the irreversibility of the JNE's rulings," added Burneo.
The development of digital voting
Regarding the possibility of implementing digital voting in the upcoming elections, the president of the JNE commented that it is a new experience, but that the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) is developing the software to make digital voting viable. "We have their commitment that on October 15th they will communicate the operating system," he indicated, after which there will be an audit process that may take three months. "He's a very ambitious pilot, outside the challenges of development itself. Let's be aware that digital voting is the future that will guarantee greater participation and speed in the results," said the electoral authority in the country.
