Kelvin Aguirre calls for electoral reforms to prevent CNE paralysis

Kelvin Aguirre, a former counselor of the National Electoral Council (CNE), has called for urgent reforms to the Electoral Law to prevent a recurrence of the institutional paralysis experienced during the 2025 electoral process. Aguirre warned that the current requirement for unanimous decisions acts as a “straitjacket,” allowing a single member's lack of consensus to stall the entire organization and jeopardize electoral timelines.

A group of former presidents, counselors, and magistrates has proposed reforming approximately 70 articles of the law. This proposal was developed using recommendations from the Organization of American States (OAS) and the European Union (EU) electoral observation missions. One key aspect of the reform is allowing the CNE to function with only two counselors under specific circumstances to ensure operational stability and efficiency.

The National Congress is currently revisiting these discussions, with the Electoral Affairs Commission expected to present proposals this week to strengthen the electoral system and guarantee its continuous operation regardless of individual disagreements among members.