Incorporating the holding of simultaneous and open primaries to choose the presidential candidates for the 2020 general elections, the Senate passed the Political Parties Bill as drafted by the senatorial commission in charge of studying the bill. This means that on the same day eligible voters can vote for any candidate of any party, regardless of their political affiliation.
The bill orders that the primaries be organized by the Central Electoral Board (JCE). Advocates of the open primaries say that by making these happen simultaneously, voters would only be able to vote once. The open primary would replace the party convention mechanism.
Open primaries have had the support of backers of President Danilo Medina. The measure had been rejected by most politicians of most of the opposition parties, and by the Leonel Fernández sector within the ruling PLD party. Those against the provision say it would facilitate a second constitutional amendment to enable a second reelection of President Danilo Medina. In 2015, the 2010 Constitution was changed to enable the re-election of President Medina.
Six PLD senators and two PRM senators abandoned the voting hall. But the 24 yes votes were enough for the bill to pass in the first reading.
Participants in the senatorial commission that voted in favor of open primaries were Aristides Victoria Yeb, Ruben Darío Cruz, Félix Vásquez, Rafael Calderón, Julio César Valentín and José Hazim Frappier. José Rafael Vargas voted against the initiative. And senators Charlie Marrioti and Jose Ignacio Paliza left the meeting.
Separately, senators Vargas, Félix Bautista, Prim Pujals, Manuel Guichardo, Amarilis Santana and Dionis Sánchez said it is illegal to obligate the parties to use the voting list of the Central Electoral Board to elect the internal candidates in open primaries. They say to impose that candidates of the political parties be elected in simultaneous open primaries would be in violation of the Constitution. The measure had already been rejected by the Supreme Court of Justice in 2005.
Read more in Spanish:
El Dia
Diario Libre
12 April 2018
