The president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), Luis Arias has announced that this March the JCE would be distributing RD$500 million among the 24 recognized political parties to finance their campaigns for the 16 May 2006 congressional and municipal elections. Arias admitted that the JCE has no control over how the politicians spend the money, as reported in Listin Diario. “The Board does not have efficient control over these resources,” he said. “We do not set conditions for releasing these funds to the parties,” he added. Dominican taxpayers contribute 0.5% of the National Budget to finance the campaigns. Of the total, 80% will be distributed amongst the three main parties – the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), the Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC) and the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).
Arias complained that the political parties do not submit reports on the use of the money, because the electoral law does not set dates for the delivery of these reports. Arias said that he would like to see more transparency in the handling of the funds.