The Electoral Tribunal (TE) reported that it has not yet received the documentation from the Judicial Branch regarding the conviction for money laundering of Ricardo Martinelli in the New Business case.

Therefore, the entity is obliged to recognize Martinelli as a presidential candidate of the Realizing Goals (RM) and Alianza parties reports La Prensa.

This has created uncertainty “about the electoral implications of the conviction against the candidate.”

“Once this documentation arrives, the Electoral Court, expeditiously and in compliance with due process, will rule on the matter,” said the president of the TE, Alfredo Juncá, in a message posted on social networks, in which he is seen along with judges Eduardo Valdés and Luis Guerra.

Martinelli's candidacy has already given the TE several headaches, since the Supreme Court decided not to admit an appeal presented by the former president's defense, against the conviction imposed against him by criminal judge. Baloisa Marquínez, last July, of 128 months in prison and a fine of $19.2 million. That sentence was ratified in October by a higher court, therefore, his entry into prison is imminent.

Since the Constitution, in article 180, prohibits the election of a president or vice president of the Republic who has a sentence of five years or more in prison, it would supposedly correspond to José Raúl Mulino, his running mate, assume the presidential candidacy of RM and Alianza.

In fact, the TE authorized Mulino to take Martinelli's place in the presidential debate that was originally going to be held on February 21. The debate was postponed to February 26. Both decisions were widely rejected by different sectors, including six of the other seven presidential candidates.