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The Presidency
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The Executive Branch is exercised by the President of the
Republic who is elected by popular vote during presidential elections that are
held every four years.
The 1994 Constitution established that 50%+1 of the vote is required in order to
win the Presidency during the 16 May election. If this amount of votes is not
achieved, a second round runoff election is called for 30 June. The President
and the Vice President are elected on the same ticket.
In the last Presidential election (May 2004) Leonel Fernandez (Partido de la
Liberacion Dominicana-PLD) was elected President with a majority of 57% versus
the incumbent Hipolito Mejia.
Hipolito Mejia (Partido Revolucionario Dominicano-PRD). Rafael Alburquerque was
elected Vice-President.
The President and Vice President are sworn in during a ceremony before the
National Assembly (which gathers the Chamber of Deputies and the National
Senate) for a term to last from 16 August 2004 to 16 August 2008. The next
presidential elections will be held on 16 May 2008.
The President of the Republic is the head of government in the Dominican
Republic. The Dominican territory is divided into 30 provinces and a National
District (Santo Domingo). The President appoints a governor to each city. Each
city elects its city officers every four years.
The Dominican Constitution establishes that the President of the Republic is the
head of state and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and Police Corps.
The Constitution establishes the following duties and powers of the President of
the Republic:
Appoint Ministers and Deputy Ministers and other officers and public employees,
whose appointment is not responsibility of another power of government or
autonomy government body recognized by the Constitution or by the laws, accept
their resignations or dismiss staff when necessary.
Promulgate and publish the laws and resolutions from the National Congress and
watch over their putting into practice. Issue rulings, decrees and instructions
when necessary.
Watch over maintaining adequate collection levels and investment of government
revenue.
Preside over the National Council of the Magistracy that has the responsibility
of selecting the judges of the Supreme Court of Justice.
Appoint, with the approval of the Senate, the members of the diplomatic corps,
accept their resignations and remove them when necessary.
Receive the visiting heads of state and their representatives.
Preside over all solemn acts of the nation, direct the diplomatic negotiations
and conclude treaties with foreign nations or international organizations,
submitting these later to the approval of the Congress, without which they will
not be valid nor oblige the Republic.
In case of disturbances, and if the National Congress is adjourned, decree,
where the situation demands, the state of siege and suspend the exercise of
citizens rights that the Congress allows to be suspended. The Presidency can
also, in case of the national sovereignty being in serious and imminent danger,
declare a state of national emergency. In case of public calamity, it can decree
disaster zones, due to hurricanes, earthquakes, floods or any other natural
phenomenon or due to epidemics.
Conclude contracts, submitting these to the approval of the National Congress
when they include dispositions that may affect the national heritage or
government revenue, as well as the sale or transfer of property worth more than
RD$20,000, the pardoning of loans, or when these provide for tax exemptions in
general.
Decide, at all times, what may concern the Armed Forces of the Nation, order
these by oneself, or by way of the person or persons appointed to do so,
maintaining always the condition of Supreme Chief of the latter; set the number
of these forces and that they may be available for public service.
Take all necessary measures to provide for the legitimate defense of the nation
in case of an actual or imminent armed attack by a foreign nation, informing
Congress on all decisions to this end adopted.
Arrest or deport foreigners whose activities, at his judgment, are harmful to
the public order and good customs of the nation.
Establish all relative to the aviation, maritime, fluvial and military zones.
Determine all relative to ports and maritime coasts.
Prohibit the entry of foreigners to the DR when it is considered in the public
interest.
Submit to the National Congress, at the start of the first ordinary legislature
on 27 February of each year, the memoirs of the Ministries, in which each report
on their performance of the prior year.
Submit to Congress, during the second ordinary legislature, the National Budget
Bill corresponding to the following year.
Approve or disapprove that Dominican citizens may exercise positions of a
government or international organizations in the national territory, and that
they may accept or use decorations and titles granted by foreign governments.
Annul by decree the taxes established by the municipalities.
Authorize or not the municipalities to sell state property, and approve or not
the contracts that be made that use government property or municipal revenue as
guarantees.
Grant pardon from jail sentences, total or partial, pure, simple or conditional
on 27 February, 16 August and 23 December of each year, with legal
effectiveness.
Cabinet of the Government of President Leonel Fernandez (2004-2008)
President: Leonel Fernandez
Vice President: Rafael Alburquerque
Minister of Agriculture: Amilcar Romero
Minister of the Armed Forces: Rear Admiral Sigfrido Pared Perez
Minister of Education: Alejandrina German
Minister of Higher Education: Ligia Amada de Melo
Minister of Finance: Vicente Bengoa
Minister of Foreign Relations: Carlos Morales Troncoso
Minister of Industry and Commerce: Francisco Javier Garcia
Minister of Interior and Police: Franklin Almeyda
Minister of Labor: Jose Ramon Fadul
Minister of Public Health: Bautista Rojas
Minister of Public Works: Manuel de Jesus Perez
Minister of Sports: Felipe Jay Payano
Minister of Tourism: Felix “Felucho” Jimenez
Minister of Environment: Max Puig
Minister of Women: Gladys Gutierrez
Minister of Culture: Jose Rafael Lantigua
Minister of Youth: Manuel Crespo
Secretary of the Presidency: Danilo Medina
Administrative Secretary of the Presidency: Luis Manuel Bonetti
Technical Secretary of the Presidency: Juan Temistocles Montas
Governor of the Central Bank: Hector Valdez Albizu
Attorney General: Francisco Dominguez Brito
Legal advisor to the President: Cesar Pina Toribio
Dominican Institute of Telecommunications: Jose Rafael Vargas
Diandino Peña: Santo Domingo Transport System
Government website:
Presidency
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