Bill to bar terrorism convicts from running as candidates

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The bill adds a new ground of ineligibility: people who have served a sentence for terrorism-related crimes must document, when the candidacy is filed, their rejection of terrorism, their repentance, their apology to victims and their commitment to cooperate with the Justice system. They must also prove they have paid all civil liability and served all accessory penalties.
2. Article 46 would also be amended to require these documents to be filed with the candidacy. After the candidacies are published, the Government must check that no candidate falls under the ineligibility grounds and, if so, immediately notify the competent Electoral Board.
3. The explanatory statement justifies the reform by the return of terrorism convicts to electoral lists, especially in 2023, and cites Supreme Court and Constitutional Court rulings on banning parties and candidacies that succeed outlawed parties.
4. The law would take effect the day after its publication in the Official State Gazette. This is a bill introduced by the Popular Party group in the Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados), admitted for processing, not an approved law.

Who it affects

• People convicted of terrorism-related crimes who have served their sentence and want to run as candidates: They must document rejection of terrorism, repentance, an apology to victims, cooperation with the Justice system, payment of civil liability and service of accessory penalties; otherwise they are ineligible.
• Parties, federations and coalitions filing candidacies: They must submit the documents proving these candidates' eligibility along with the candidacy.
• The Government: After candidacies are published, it must check that no candidate falls under the ineligibility grounds and notify the Electoral Board.
• The Electoral Boards: They receive the Government's immediate notice about affected candidates.

Words worth knowing

Inelegible (inelegibilidad)

A person who cannot be elected to a representative public office.

Sentencia firme

A court ruling that can no longer be appealed.

Responsabilidad civil

Money the convicted person must pay as compensation for the harm caused.

Penas accesorias

Penalties added to the main sentence, such as disqualification from office or from the right to be elected.

Junta Electoral

The body that oversees the legality of electoral processes.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries