The Junta Central Electoral (JCE) announced that the three principal political parties – the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano, Partido de la Liberación Dominicana and Partido Reformista Social Cristiano – will receive RD$140 million in financial assistance from the state for their congressional and municipal electoral campaigns. The rest of the organizations will share RD$34.2 million. The three major political parties will receive 80% of the budget to finance the campaigns, compared to 20% for emerging organizations. Dr. Juan Sully Bonnelly, president of the JCE, says that the financial assistance replaces the government practice of awarding vehicle import exemptions that were sold on the local market for monies to finance the campaign. The electoral campaign for muncipal and congressional posts in the May 16, 1998 election opens February 2.
