In a letter to commission chairman, Santos Borja, Toribiong who is running for a Senate seat, said that although the candidates for Senate were informed that the selection process would start on Sept. 8, the selection of numbers began 15 minutes before the scheduled time.
“As you know with the large number of Senate candidates this year, the location of each candidate’s name on the ballot may have a significant effect on election results,” Toribiong said.He claimed that the commission has given preferential treatment toward a select number of candidates.The selection of ballot numbers was held on Sept. 8.“The Election Board is supposed to be an example of transparency, accountability and impartiality. Its mishandling of the number of selection process is irresponsible and inexcusable. If the people of Palau cannot trust the Election Board to complete a fair and transparent ballot selection process, how can we count on you to ensure that our elections are fair and transparent,” Toribiong said.There are 43 candidates seeking a Senate seat. There are 13 seats up for grabs.
