Rafaela Alburquerque (PRSC-San Pedro de Macoris) was elected on 16 August president of the Chamber of Deputies. She was elected by consensus of the three leading political parties. She is the first woman to preside the Chamber of Deputies. Despite the PRSC being minority in the Chamber of Deputies, leaders of the leading opposition party, the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano told former President Joaquín Balaguer that they would back whomever he chose for president of the Chamber. The PRD did not want PRD-dissident Hector Peguero Mendez to be re-elected and wanted to please Balaguer, whose endorsement is said to be necessary for a party to win the presidential election of 2000. Balaguer said he would choose with the consensus of the parties, which he did. His first candidate was objected by the PRD. Alburquerque called for deputies to get back to work on Tuesday, 24 August. She announced she would meet with Ramón Alburquerque of the Senate to discuss ways both houses of Congress could improve relations with the Executive Branch. Note that despite sharing common surnames, the heads of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate are not related. Other newly elected members of the Chamber of Deputies are Alfonso Fermín Balcacer, vice president and secretaries Rafael Franjul and Ambrosina Saviñón.
