Intellectual drought, incoherent “loyalties,” and then they complain about turncoats? | Sequía intelectual, “lealtades” incoherentes, ¿y luego se quejan de transfugio?

By Visión 360:

21 elected legislators belong to parties different from the ones that nominated them

In the case of the PDC, 4 are members of MAS, 3 of the FRI, and 2 of Morena. On the side of Alianza Libre, there are affiliates in the MTS, the PDC, MAS, Súmate, and ADN (one in each). In Alianza Unidad, there’s one from the PDC and one from the FRI. And in Alianza Popular, 2 from MAS.

Bolivia Verifica

A total of 21 elected assembly members, both full and alternates, are affiliated with national political organizations other than the party or alliance that nominated them for the 2025 general elections.

Bolivia Verifica analyzed the list of elected authorities in both chambers, and found that 21 senators and deputies entered the Plurinational Legislative Assembly (ALP) while being registered in other parties and political organizations, including MAS, Morena, ADN, MNR, MTS, among others.

The following tables summarize this information:

Not considered turncoatism, but questions rules and statutes

Can this practice be considered political turncoatism? The Secretariat of the Chamber of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) explains that it cannot.

Turncoatism, considered a “very serious” electoral violation, occurs when an elected authority in office registers with another political organization or publicly declares adherence to another political front.

“The figure (of turncoatism) applies later (once the authority assumes office). That is, if a current deputy registers in another political organization, then the figure of ‘tránsfuga’ applies. But in this case, they already came with prior membership, and the same party (that nominated them) chose them that way or, in some cases, invited them, because many party statutes allow non-members to appear on their candidate lists,” explained Fernando Arteaga, Chamber Secretary of the TSE.

According to him, some statutes are stricter, requiring candidates to necessarily be party members.

“It’s still an unresolved issue under the law, but also unresolved within the political organizations themselves,” he argued.

72 PDC and Libre candidates were members of another organization

On the other hand, it is noteworthy that in the lists of candidates approved by the PDC and Libre, a total of 72 ran for seats in the Senate and Deputies while being members of other political fronts.

But there were also members who ran under their own political banners. In the case of the PDC, there were 11, and in Alianza Libre, 44: 30 belonged to the Democrats and 14 to the FRI. Both parties formed the alliance that nominated Jorge Quiroga.

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