In a two hour meeting (short for these types of meetings) the Political Committee of the governing Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) endorsed Cristina Lizardo (PLD-Santo Domingo province) for the presidency of the Senate, making her the first woman to head the Senate.
During the same meeting, the Political Committee confirmed its support for Abel Martinez (PLD-Santiago province) to continue to preside over the Chamber of Deputies.
In addition, it was proposed that the vice president of the Senate should be Francis Vargas, representative for Puerto Plata and Lucia Medina (sister of President Danilo Medina) will continue to be vice president of the Chamber of Deputies.
The election for the officials of Congress was unanimous, according to the secretary general of the PLD, Reinaldo Pared Perez (PLD-National District), who met with reporters following the meeting. Pared Perez noted that 34 of the 35 members of the PC attended the meeting. Only Architect Eduardo Selman was absent.
President of the Senate Reinaldo Pared Perez had announced earlier that he would not seek reelection in the Senate to pursue the presidential candidacy for the PLD into the 2016 presidential election.
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2014/08/05/i732591_comit-poltico-del-pld-elige-cristina-lizardo-senado-ratifica-abel-martnez.html