Martino Meloni, the outgoing European Union representative in the Dominican Republic, told the news media that the EU will halt all development aid to the country if it fails to hold presidential elections this year in keeping with the Pact for Democracy. The announcement came amidst rumors that top government officials are plotting to invalidate the election scheduled for 16 May.
To avert a major political crisis, President Joaquín Balaguer’s Partido Reformista Social Cristiano (PRSC) and the main opposition parties signed an agreement in 1994 calling for sweeping constitutional reforms. Dr Balaguer committed the country to holding another presidential election after only two years, instead of the normal four, following allegations of electoral fraud made by the opposition, and later also by independent observers.
Mr. Meloni mentioned Haiti as an example of what could happen if the Dominican government decides not to honor the Pact for Democracy. He recalled that after the then President Jean Bertrand Aristide was toppled by the Haitian military, the EU suspended all bilateral aid to that country. He said, however, that given the nation’s strong belief in democratic principles, there should not be any major problems concerning the holding of such elections. The EU is by far the largest donor of aid to the Dominican Republic.