Senator Reinaldo Pared Perez, one of the negotiators of an electoral agreement with the PRD and PRSC opposition parties, has told the press that a final agreement has not yet been reached. The agreement would include concessions for PLD support for PRD Congressional and municipal candidates in the 2016 national election.
The agreement would give the PLD the votes needed for passing the motion to change the 2010 Constitution to enable President Danilo Medina to run for a second term. The PRD, whose popularity has declined to 3-5% in recent polls, would provide its support for Medina to ensure it maintains official party status that entitles it to millions of pesos in funds from the state and other yet-to-be-announced benefits.
Over the Corpus Christi long weekend, news reports suggested that the agreements would include the creation of two new provinces (Jose Francisco Pena Gomez in Santo Domingo North and Juan Bosch in Santo Domingo West n Villa Altagracia) in order to assign these senate seats to the PRD.
Discussions with the PRSC are also in process for the party to provide its support for passing the re-election motion in Congress.
As reported in Listin Diario, Danilo Diaz is one of the leading negotiators for the PLD. He said the scope of the agreement would be revealed after the re-election proposal is passed in Congress. He said the agreement would cover around 4,000 candidacies for legislative and municipal posts.
On Saturday, 6 June 2015 a first reading on the re-election proposal was passed with the support of 183 legislators and 38 voting against of a total 222 legislators present. A minimum of 148 votes was needed. A second reading was scheduled for Friday, 12 June 2015.
The Senate approved one-time consecutive re-election. It also includes a transitory clause that establishes: “In the case that the President of the Republic, for the constitutional period 2012-2016, should be the candidate for the same position, for 2016-2020, he will not be able to run for a second term or for the vice presidency of the Republic.”
The approval was achieved thanks to the support of 40 of the PRD’s 41 deputies. In contrast, 33 of the 35 PRM deputies voted against the motion.
Meanwhile, civil society watchdog group Participacion Ciudadana criticized Danilo Medina for supporting a bill for his own benefit, when he had been an opponent of re-election in the past on the grounds that it was harmful in a country with weak institutions. PC executive director Rosalia Sosa said that while the rest of the world is striving to move towards real solutions to problems like poverty and inequality, in the Dominican Republic political patronage prevails, in support of a model of state that multiplies poverty, exclusion and inequality.
“What a high cost we Dominicans have to pay for re-election: distribution of candidacies, changes in the country’s political geographical distribution, prostituting institutions, a reform lacking in consensus, the convening of the National Revisory Assembly without giving time for Law 24-15 to be effective”, she stated.
See more at: http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2015/06/08/este-viernes-reforma-constitucional-sera-convertida-ley
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2015/06/08/375662/acuerdo-pld-prd-no-ser-posible-antes-de-la-reforma
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2015/06/08/i1185291_alcance-del-pacto-prd-pld-definir-luego-reforma.html
http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/2015/06/07/i189991_identifica-vicio-podria-anular-reforma-constitucional-reeleccionista.html
http://acento.com.do/2015/actualidad/8226081-danilo-diaz-y-sus-socios-son-condenados-en-nueva-york-por-caso-pueblo-bavaro/