Dr. Cesar Estrella Sahdal?, the lawyer who restored the credibility to the Junta Central Electoral, the Dominican electoral court, and did in 1996 what no one thought was possible, organize an undisputed elections in 1996, said that the Junta Central Electoral has not respected the will of the legislators in their interpretation of the requirement that 25% of the positions congressional and municipal go to women. The parties have interpreted the ruling to their convenience and while they have given women in politics 25% of the candidacies, these have been in positions with little possibility of being elected. Estrella Sahdal? said that the intention of the law was that for every four winning municipal and congressional candidates there be one woman elected. The JCE, which has several new judges, has been criticized for showing weakness in the execution of its mandate. For example, the JCE allowed the registration of candidacies after the deadline, and the parties’ leadership has overrun candidates winning the primaries.
