The Central Electoral Board (JCE) has put in a request for RD$747.2 million for the organization of the political parties’ primaries, as reported in Hoy newspaper. This amount has risen from the original RD$487.2 million originally requested. Both amounts, however, are being viewed as outrageous, given the current economic difficulties in the DR.
The PRD-majority Congress modified the electoral law in 2004 in order to delegate the costs and responsibility of organizing the primaries to the JCE. The bill has yet to be contested in the Supreme Court, however.
Prior to the implementation of the political primaries provision, already taxpayers were obliged to fit the bill for the hosting of the political campaigns of parties participating in the municipal, congressional and presidential elections.
The JCE has requested an overall budget for 2005 of RD$2.7 billion.