By The Star Staff
The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) called on Thursday for a meeting of its newly seated governing board and announced the opening of candidacies for committee presidencies in 26 municipalities.
Intending to maintain momentum, strengthen its electoral structures and accelerate the reactivation processes of voters affiliated with the party, the PDP on Thursday presented a new institutional work calendar for the coming weeks, which includes new voting in 26 municipalities, the call for the first meeting of the new governing board and a major party fundraising event.
PDP Secretary General Luis Vega Ramos, Electoral Commissioner Ramón Torres Cruz and Alternate Electoral Commissioner Jorge Colberg Toro announced the decision during a press conference held at PDP headquarters in Puerta de Tierra.
Vega Ramos said the first task will take place Saturday at the PDP to select the governing board representative of the LGBTTQI community.
“As is of public knowledge, after two draws occurred in the voting of the General Assembly for the chairs of the community base and the LGBTTIQ+ before the governing board, the PDP has said these positions would be filled in subsequent days,” Vega Ramos said. “Therefore, for these purposes -- and given the fact that one of the candidates for the chair in the base sector of faith has retired from the contest -- it would only be to select the chair of the LGBTTIQ+ community this Saturday, March 4, starting at 9 in the morning.”
In that process, he said, 40 delegates of that same sector selected in each of the representative districts will have the right to vote, according to the new PDP regulations.
Likewise, the PDP general secretary announced that the governing board will have its first formal meeting Saturday. Members will be sworn in, and they will hear a detailed report about the reorganization status and electoral issues. The board will also decide on the selection mechanism to fill the vacancy in House District 20 following the resignation of Rep. Kebin Maldonado Martiz.
PDP officials also announced the opening of the process of filing candidacies for the presidencies of the municipal committees in 26 municipalities, the vice presidency of the PDP Committee in Mayagüez, and five such seats in San Juan, according to the new electoral redistribution. The filing process will begin Friday, March 3 at 9 a.m. and will run until March 10 at 5 p.m.
Voting for the positions will be held on Saturday, April 1 by direct voting of all voters affiliated with the PDP in those municipalities.
“This process will allow us to fill 100% of the presidencies of the municipal committees throughout the island and, in addition, will function as an electoral preparation exercise for the vote on Sunday, May 7,” said Torres Cruz, the electoral commissioner.
He added that the May 7 “electoral event will allow for the reactivation and verification of the electoral status of thousands of [PDP] voters throughout the island.”
The municipalities that will participate in the simultaneous election are: Aibonito, Barranquitas, Bayamón, Cabo Rojo, Camuy, Canóvanas, Cataño, Ceiba, Culebra, Florida, Corozal, Fajardo, Guaynabo, Humacao, Lajas, Las Marías, Manatí, Maunabo, Moca, Naranjito, Patillas, San Germán, San Lorenzo, San Sebastián, Utuado and Yauco.
Regarding the situation in Mayagüez, the officials said the reorganization process began last year and that on this occasion the vice presidency of the municipal committee will be decided through an open vote.
The officials added that in the next few days they will provide details of the voting places, training of candidates, and logistics of the event.
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