The civil society group Citizen Participation (PC) has flagged up what it describes as authoritarianism within the Central Electoral Board (JCE). PC points to the recent replacement of judge Jose Angel Aquino as coordinator of the Civil Registry Offices Commission. PC campaigners say that the board has “only traces of a collegiate and democratic body,” as reported in acento.com.do
A press release from the group says that the consolidation of authoritarianism within the entity could have unpredictable and dire consequences for the country. PC says that the autonomy granted to the JCE as a constitutional body does not exonerate it from having to comply with laws as their attitude of not wanting to comply with the Constitution and the laws that regulate transparency, procurement and management of finances of government entities makes apparent. PC recalls that the press has reported that the JCE has spent twice more than budgeted on per diems and expenses and now is announcing it will continue with the multimillion project to replace the IDs despite the fact that it is not in this year’s budget. PC says this would be in violation of the Constitution that establishes that government spending needs to be authorized by the budget law. PC also criticized the National Congress for failing to fulfill its constitutional responsibility to monitor and control this spending. The JCE president was the representative of the PLD government appointed by former President Leonel Fernandez. The PLD holds the majority in Congress.
The civic movement says that it is not only about transparency in public funds management or about fulfillment of laws. PC says that for the JCE to organize elections with a minimum of credibility, the JCE needs to act with absolute independence and impartiality, and there is no doubt that the credibility of the electoral organization has been declining.
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