Political analysts are criticizing the ruling PLD party for using its majority in Congress to pass a bill that will mainly serve to strengthen political patronage. As reported in Diario Libre, the position is that the bill on preferential vote passed in the Chamber of Deputies should have been part of the Bill of Political Parties that the ruling party has ignored and continues to stagnate in Congress. The Political Parties bill originally included controls on how politics is financed and other measures to help good candidates prevail, and discourage those who seek access to government money and influence.
Political scientist Rafael Toribio said that the bill should have allowed for voting for either senators or deputies of different parties. The new bill establishes that when choosing a deputy, the senator of the same party also gets the vote. The new bill also eliminates the minimum 33% representation quota for women in the Chamber of Deputies.
Toribio said that the PLD legislators who support President Danilo Medina are behind the bill, while it was rejected by followers of former President Leonel Fernandez.
As reported in Diario Libre, the president of the PRSD, Hatuey de Camps commented that the proposed system means the voter with the most resources will continue to win.
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2013/09/20/i403115_proyecto-del-voto-preferencial-rechazado-por-amplios-sectores.html