Q COSTARICA — In an unprecedented message in Costa Rican political history, Eugenia Zamora, president of the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE)—Supreme Electoral Tribunal— accused President Rodrigo Chaves of threatening the peace and tranquility of Costa Rica during the election period.
In a seven-minute video, accompanied by all the magistrates, Zamora asked for respect for herself as a person, but, more importantly, for her position as a magistrate and president of the electoral body.
The 76-year-old official described the president as disrespectful, accusing him of promoting attacks against her and undermining the integrity of the TSE’s decisions on several issues, such as the investigation into illegal campaign financing for the Social Progress party that brought Chaves to power, the politically charged process to lift the president’s immunity, and the demand that no changes be made to radio and television frequencies until after the elections.
Zamora stated that it was in no way pleasant to be referred to in that manner, adding that this would be the only time the TSE would comment on this matter during the political campaign.
“The national public debate and focus should not be on you, but on the people who aspire to be elected and their proposals for solving the nation’s problems. (…) I deserve respect as a person, and you have failed to show it to me. I am nearing the end of my public service career, and thanks to the wisdom of our constitutional framers, you lack the authority to remove me from office,” Zamora said.
Vehement Message
The magistrate pressed on with a fierce tirade against Chaves.
“So, personally, your statements about me are irrelevant, but they are not irrelevant institutionally and because of the office I hold: when you, distorting the truth, accuse me and my colleagues on the Court of a partisan bias, you are attacking the credibility of the institution we lead, the upcoming electoral process, and the results we will certify. You are threatening the peace and political stability of the country, and that, I repeat, is something we cannot allow,” the official asserted.
The magistrate pointed out that she should not feel ashamed, nor should her authority be undermined, because she served in the government of Óscar Arias between 1986 and 1990, since all of that was public knowledge and part of her fundamental rights as a citizen.
In that regard, Zamora denied any electoral injustice intended to favor or harm any particular political party.
“Having participated in a political party or held a government position does not disqualify anyone from serving as an electoral magistrate in any democracy in the world, because in a democracy, political party participation is not shameful, but a sacred citizen’s right,” the Zamora stated.
Chaves’s displeasure intensified when the TSE asked the Legislative Assembly to lift the president’s constitutional immunity in order to proceed with investigations against him for alleged political activism, a process still under discussion among the legislators. This has prompted strong criticism from Chaves against the TSE and against Zamora herself, given her work four decades ago in the government of Óscar Arias, during a time of two-party rule.
On Wednesday, Chaves dared to claim that the TSE is committing the biggest “constitutional affront” since 1948 because of its actions against him, who, with his high popular approval rating, is a reference and inspiration for the movement represented by former minister Laura Fernández as a presidential candidate in the Partido Pueblo Soberano (PPSO).
After the TSE’s statement was released, several presidential candidates expressed their support for the electoral body, asking the president to stop the attacks.