The head of the Government of Andorra, Xavier Espot, has announced this Monday the dissolution of the Consell General (Parliament) and the calling of general elections for next April 2.
This Monday afternoon the decree, signed by the two co-princes and the head of the Government, will be published in the Official Gazette of the Principality of Andorra (BOPA) and will come into force tomorrow.
It will then be possible to collect in the Comuns (town halls) and in the Government all the documentation to present the candidatures.
Espot’s announcement comes after the last two sessions of the Consell General were held last week, which allowed the approval of the last laws that had finished the parliamentary process, among them, the Budget.
The deadline to present candidacies will be February 13 at noon and, according to Espot, the electoral campaign will begin on March 19 at 3 p.m. and will end on Friday, March 31 at midnight.
On Saturday, April 1 will be the day of reflection and on Sunday, April 2, the elections will be held, being able to vote at the polling stations between 9 am and 7 pm.
The head of the Government has invited the citizens to participate in the elections and has recommended everyone to check their registration in the electoral roll until February 8, since the next day the definitive lists will be published by the communes.
EARLY VOTING People who can not come to vote on the 2nd, may do so in advance by voting by judicial deposit from Monday, March 20 until Saturday, April 1.
The judicial vote can be exercised in the Batllia (court) from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 7 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm.
In the same way, it will be possible to request the postal vote from tomorrow until Tuesday, February 28 at 12 noon, which for the first time will be possible for the simple fact of being out of the country on election day, since until now it was only available to residents abroad.
People with disabilities can apply at the Government’s formalities department to request access to electoral information on equal terms until February 13.
They can also request, until March 17, assistance for voting and transportation to the polling station, if required.
JUSTIFICATION Xavier Espot has assured that the choice of April 2 does not respond «neither to political tacticism, nor to a partisan or electoral calculation», but it is the most suitable date for the comfort and possibilities of the citizens.
Taking into account that on April 2 the Easter school vacations begin, Espot regretted the «inconveniences» that may be caused, but recalled the various forms of early voting to facilitate participation.
Asked about the possible abstention, he indicated that it will be seen the day of the elections and assured that the Government will do everything possible so that there is «the more participation the better».
In this sense, he pointed out that «the behavior and the way» to face the campaign will be decisive and he has advocated to make constructive proposals and not to enter into sterile battles and disqualification of the political adversaries.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
