The local press reported on Sat., 20 April on the visit of César Gaviria, secretary general of the Organization of American States, who met with President Balaguer to lobby for the administration to approve the visit of some 20 observers on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. According to reports, the JCE, following the request of the U.S. Embassy, has sent out the list of invited observers to the Ministry of Foreign Relations which in turn has channeled these to the President, with no response in favor or against their arrival prior to the election date. The president of the JCE met with President Balaguer following his meeting with Mr Gaviria and said that the Dominican electoral law does not contemplate the election being supervised by observers and that they have to be invited by the President and not by the JCE. He said that the seriousness of the JCE as an electoral body does not depend on being observed by anybody but, rather, that they should be permitted, as it is already a tradition. He said he met with the President to discuss matters relating to the Electoral Police who are in charge of the security, and maintaining law and order at the voting stations and the JCE during the election.
In an interview with the press after the meeting with President Balaguer, César Gaviria says that the international community recognizes the independence of those directing the organization of the election through the JCE.