The Partido Revolucionario Dominicano authorized its legislators to return to work in Congress. The party leaders last week had banned its members from attending congressional sessions. Then they reached an agreement with President Leonel Fernández and Partido de la Liberación Dominicana political strategist Danilo Medina, who is also Secretary of the Presidency. The acting president of the PRD Tony Raful said that the party authorized its congressmen to return to the sessions after President Leonel Fernández assured them that the government would not submit a proposal for constitutional reform, nor would the issue of presidential re-election be brought up in the present legislature that ends 16 August. Furthermore, he said that the President assured him that neither the government nor the PLD would obstruct the election of the PRD board choice, Winston Arnaud, to preside the Chamber of Deputies. A dissident PRD member, still today president of the Chamber of Deputies, Hector Peguero Mendez has threatened to launch his candidacy as president of the chamber in the election to be held 16 August. He has said he is counting on the votes of the PLD and the PRSC congressmen, as well as on dissident PRD and Acuerdo de Santo Domingo congressmen. Despite the go ahead on behalf of the PRD, neither the Senate nor the Chamber of Deputies were able to session on Tuesday. The president of the Senate, Amable Aristy Castro (PRSC-La Altagracia) nor the president of the Chamber of Deputies Hector Peguero Méndez (PRD-Independencia) said they did not convene the members because they did not have a definite agenda. Peguero Méndez explained he did not know what bills the Presidency would send to Congress. He has said on Tuesday, that he would not convene the Chamber of Deputies until he was better informed. Amable Aristy Castro, president of the Senate, and a member of the Partido Reformista Social Cristiano, commented that he favored a constitutional reform in which the re-election would be allowed. He said there is sufficient time to modify the Constitution, as in 1994 it was modified in 48 hours. As a result of that modification, congressional and municipal elections are held separately from presidential elections, presidential re-election is banned, and a presidential candidate needs 50%+1 vote of the total vote count to win the elections without having to go to a second vote round. The PRSC has a last chance at making a move, as come 16 August, the party will be minority in both houses.
