President Joaquin Balaguer removed General Enrique Pérez y Pérez as Chief of Police on Monday, 10 June, replacing him with Admiral Antonio Nazir Tejada, who was transferred from the Navy. Gen. Pérez y Pérez was brought out of retirement just three days before the 16 May presidential election, and was in the post for only 28 days, the shortest term in recent times. His removal came just as the D.R. was receiving pressure from domestic and international organizations observing the electoral process, expressing concern over the police’s policy of arresting citizens found without their identification and voter’s cards (cédulas), in the wake of accusations that one or both of the political forces vying for the presidency in the 30 June run-off election had been buying the documents en masse in order to strengthen their chances.
Although no evidence of the purchase of cédulas had been presented, hundreds of citizens were detained after being found without the card, prompting a complaint to international organizations by Dr. José Francisco Peña Gómez of the PRD and Acuerdo de Santo Domingo. Shortly after the Carter Center in the U.S., one of the observing organizations, sent a letter to President Balaguer condemning the detaining of those not carrying their cédulas, the practice was halted on the President’s orders, and two days later Gen. Pérez y Pérez was removed as Chief of Police.
This was the second term as Chief of Police for Gen. Pérez y Pérez, who was one of the most visible military figures during Dr Balguer’s 12 year period as president between 1966 and 1978. He had been in retirement since November of 1978, and his reintegration into the Armed Forces and appointment as Chief of Police last month brought about considerable speculation in political circles. Although he is no longer Chief of Police, Enrique Pérez y Pérez remains an active general in the Army.
Admiral Nazir Tejada was Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces at the time of his succeeding General Pérez y Pérez. He was also head of the Electoral Police in 1994, and has served as Administrator of Bienes Nacionales, as well as assistant to the Chief of the Fire Brigade and also as the Administrator of Las Americas International Airport.