The Senate approved yesterday the bill that approves changing the Electoral Law to permit the appointment of two additional electoral judges, one appointed by the Partido Reformista Social Cristiano and another by the Partido de la Liberaci?n Dominicana. This would bring to seven the number of judges in the Junta Central Electoral, the body that is in charge of organizing elections in the DR. The largest opposition party, the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano unilaterally appointed five new judges in August 1998, bringing about a controversy that is expected to be resolved with the appointment of judges appointed by the other parties. The passing of the bill is part of the agreements reached during the talks of the leading political parties at the National Palace presided over by President Leonel Fern?ndez.
