The candidate of the Popular Party, Alfonso Rueda, under the magnifying glass of the Electoral Board
The Electoral Board of Galicia has taken measures against the Popular Party candidate, Alfonso Rueda, for his conduct during the electoral campaign. The trigger was institutional propaganda related to the payment of the non-contributory pension supplement, a benefit that around 37,000 Galicians receive and that is normally paid at the end of the year.
The judges do not question the decision to advance the delivery of the supplement during the campaign, but rather how Rueda used it to “praise” his own government work. Since this is not the first time that he has received a warning, the Electoral Board has decided to open a file against him.
The BNG complaint and the dissemination of the decision
The Electoral Board admitted a complaint filed by the BNG regarding the dissemination of the decision by the Xunta’s website and press services. According to the nationalists, the regional executive’s internet portal did not limit itself to reporting on the renewal of the supplement, but rather titled: “37,000 people with non-contributory pensions will receive the extraordinary supplement from the Xunta.” Furthermore, the press release included assessments that highlighted the continuity of this aid over the last 16 years in Galicia.
For the Electoral Board, Rueda engaged in what is called “campaign of achievements”, that is, acts of electoral claim based on exposing the achievements of the management carried out. However, instead of presenting them as personal achievements, Rueda praised them as the holder of the public office that he holds. These words “are reprehensible” and are accompanied by evaluations that have clear electoral connotations, when comparing the situation with other autonomous communities.
Background and sanctioning process
Given that Alfonso Rueda had already received a prior warning for electoral statements from the lectern of president of the Xunta, the Electoral Board considered that there were sufficient reasons to open this sanctioning process. A few days ago, the Central Electoral Board (not the Galician one) also initiated a similar procedure against the PP due to the accumulation of infractions, at the request of the PSOE.
