Venezuela’s Supreme Court of Justice was announced this Wednesday a ruling which ordered the suspension of the elections of internal authorities of the University of Los Andes, even after the schedule established by the Electoral Commission was already being met.
lapatilla.com correspondent
Rector Mario Bonucci Rossini said that: “The decision of the Supreme Court of Justice to suspend the elections at the University of Los Andes, ULA, on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 21st, places university students in a state of defenselessness and is rejected by the majority.”
“The text of the ruling has not been published in its entirety, which prevents legal action,” said Mario Bonucci Rossini, Rector of the ULA.
He highlighted the asymmetry between the universities: “Why could elections be held at the Central University of Venezuela and not at the University of Los Andes? Our electoral regulations are not different from those of the UCV.”
Bonucci added that the lawyer José Eladio Quintero, retired professor from the Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences of the ULA, who filed the appeal, requests that the vote of the retired professors be incorporated and that they could also be elected deans (of faculties).
The latter is expressly prohibited by the University Law, which is why it was not contemplated in the ULA’s internal electoral regulations as approved by the University Council.
Mario Bonucci believes that this challenge should have been dismissed by the country’s highest court.
Likewise, candidates for government authority positions at the University of Los Andes also raised their voices against the measure of the country’s highest judicial body.
Such was the case of the current Academic Vice-Rector Patricia Rosenzweig Levy and candidate for rector, who also said that: “Our work to achieve the university we deserve will not stop.”
Rosenzweig Levy, who has dedicated her life to teaching, research and good administration of the University of Los Andes, declared that she and her work team maintain their commitment to the university community, referring to the TSJ ruling that suspended ULA’s electoral process.
In the same order of ideas, candidate Virgilio Castillo said: “I announce on behalf of the University Transformation team, our rejection of the suspension of the electoral process of the University of Los Andes, called by the Electoral Commission for April 30th of this year.
For the second time, the possibility of renewal of the university authorities through this mechanism is blocked and the moment to promote change, transformation and the possibility of providing a new dawn for our battered university is frustrated again.
Also, Manuel Morocoima, candidate for Rector, Gerardo Tovitto, candidate for academic vice-rector, Juan Carlos Rivero, candidate for administrative vice-rector and Juan Carlos Pacheco, nominated for the Secretary of the ULA, stated that they will continue with their work in the construction of the university we all need.
The academics, grouped in the “New Country, New University” group, regretted the decision of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), since the university requires renewing its authorities as an example of the democratic spirit that has always characterized the university.