2024-08-06 09:44:16
With votes from the Government and Correa’s supporters, the Oversight Committee approved a motion to ask the President of the Assembly to suspend Martínez’s inauguration, scheduled for this Thursday, July 11.
The Comptroller’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office will investigate the session of the Citizen Participation Council, in which Dunia Martínez was elected as president of the Judicial Council (CJ). This was reported on July 10 by the president of the Council, Andrés Fantoni, to the Assembly’s Oversight Committee, who also began its investigation into the meeting on July 8.
The intention is for both control entities to determine whether Councilor Nicole Bonifaz is telling the truth when she claims that she was not allowed to enter the virtual session and, therefore, could not vote.
Or if it is true that Bonifaz never connected, but minutes before the meeting ended, when everything was consummated, making it impossible to take his vote, as Fantoni and the vice president, Mishelle Calvache, say.
Martínez’s appointment was supported by Fantoni, Calvache and the councillor, Gonzalo Albán, who was the main candidate due to the paternity leave granted to Augusto Verduga. Yadira Saltos, Juan Esteban Guarderas and Johanna Verdesoto abstained. As there was a tie in the vote, it was necessary to resort to the deciding vote of Fantoni, who was in favour.
Bonifaz also circulated an audio in which Calvache is allegedly heard saying: “We must not allow him (to vote), otherwise Fantoni will be lost.” This should also be investigated, to determine where the phrase came from, according to the request made to the Attorney General’s Office and the Comptroller’s Office.
Tense appearance
In the Oversight Committee, the Correa-supporting assembly members repeatedly questioned the fact that Bonifaz was not allowed access to the session and that her vote was not taken. This occurred despite the explanations of Andrés Fantoni, who stated that the councilor never connected, was never in the waiting room, and that when she entered the session was ending and the vote was closed.
Fantoni also had to confirm, on more than five occasions, that the motion to reconsider the vote that elected Martínez will be approved on July 10, at the insistence of the commission, Pamela Aguirre and other legislators of Correísmo.
Calvache questioned the marked interest shown by the Oversight Committee in ensuring that the vote would be subject to reconsideration. He even said that it would seem that what is being sought is to “change the result.”
Controversial resolution
Before the session ended, the Correaist assemblyman, Lenín Barreto, introduced a motion asking the president of the Assembly, Henry Kronfle, to suspend the inauguration of Dunia Martínez, scheduled for 08:45 on Thursday, July 11.
In addition, Councilor Augusto Verduga, who abruptly suspended his paternity leave, should be allowed to participate in the session to reconsider the vote that appointed Martínez.
This was supported by the four members of the commission who are part of the Citizen Revolution, as well as by César Umajinga and Tamara Zambrano, Luis Alvarado’s substitute. Both are members of the Government bench.
By: PRIMICIAS