The Participacion Ciudadana (PC) civil society movement asked the Central Electoral Board (JCE) yesterday to shorten the electoral campaign periods, in order to reduce costs. As reported in El Caribe, PC Executive Director Javier Cabreja suggested that the JCE bring the political parties together to propose that they delay the launch of the campaign until January 2006. Cabreja explained that this would reduce the cost of electioneering in a country that has still not recovered from the financial and economic crisis of 2003. He stated that lengthy electoral campaigns foster the abuse of state funds and put the winners in the debt of wealthy individuals, including those who have profited from illegal activities. JCE President Luis Arias was receptive to the proposals made by PC. He explained that they posed a challenge for the JCE and said that they would study the proposals. Luis Arias told the press that the staging of the congressional and municipal election in May 2006 will cost RD$986.7 million, that is RD$698 million more than the mid-term election of 2002. He attributed the increase to the fact that there are 300,000 new voters and 151 municipalities, instead of 134 in the 2002 election.