The National Appeals Commission has released a statement aimed at explaining, in light of the rising controversies and criticisms against it, the legal correctness of the decision that granted Jean-François Copé victory in the UMP presidency election.
Beyond the reasons put forth by both sides and the inevitable upheavals that will continue to burden the party’s life, there remains a negative impression of a missed opportunity for democratic life.
And to be honest, it would have been preferable not to see the names of Nice, Castagniers, or Cannes-Mandelieu among the towns and polling stations under suspicion, with even the annulment of the vote in Nice 1 and 3.
Paris is decidedly always very (too?) far from the Côte d’Azur….
Message from the President of the National Appeals Commission
I want to provide you with all the information regarding the decision of the National Appeals Commission (CNR), which conducted verification and control of the internal elections for the UMP presidency on Sunday, November 25, and Monday, November 26, 2012.
1º) The commission is the Supreme Court of the UMP, composed of members who were elected by the National Council militants, mostly under the mandate of Xavier Bertrand. This commission was pluralistic and balanced: some of its members supported Jean-François Copé, others supported François Fillon, and others were neutral. The CNR members did not sit as partisans of either candidate but judged based on the lawfulness of this election. They were assisted by a counsel, an electoral law specialist approved by both candidates. All the deliberations took place in the presence of bailiffs and were recorded.
2º) The appeals from both parties, François Fillon and Jean-François Copé, were examined for nearly 22 hours with the greatest transparency and independence. The Commission’s decision was made unanimously. This means that even the Commission members who supported François Fillon approved this decision without reservation. They had every opportunity to reject it, but none did. The Commission’s decision is indisputable.
3º) Based on irrefutable evidence and bailiff reports, with unanimous agreement from its members, the CNR notably decided to annul the vote of New Caledonia due to non-compliant electoral operations and the polling stations 1 and 3 of Alpes-Maritimes due to serious irregularities. As a result, Jean-François Copé’s victory was confirmed by a lead of 952 votes. In accordance with our statutes, Jean-François Copé was therefore declared President of the UMP.
4º) I wished, with this message, for each of you to be able to access the entirety of our decision, which you can find by clicking this link.
Yanick Paternotte, President of the National Appeals Commission
