The president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), Julio César Castaños Guzmán estimated at RD$5.6 billion the cost of celebrating simultaneous open primaries to choose the presidential candidates for political parties in the Dominican Republic. Castaños has held a position against the open primaries on grounds that these would be very costly. He says if the bill passes in Congress, the simultaneous open primaries would be held on 17 November 2019, just three months before the municipal elections that are scheduled for February 2020.
Speaking at the luncheon of the American Chamber of Commerce on 25 April 2018, Castaños said this could mean that the electoral system would have to tackle four major election processes between November 2019 and June 2020. These would be the new preferential vote for councilors, the presidential and legislative elections in May, and even the possibility of a second round vote if a candidate does not receive 50%+1 f the vote in June 2020.
He urged the legislators to pass the Political Parties Bill and the Electoral Regimen Bill in time to begin preparations.
The political system in the Dominican Republic has had a high cost. It is estimated that from 1998 to 2017, officially recognized political parties alone have received RD$13.48 billion that will increase to RD$17.9 billion by 2020. Some 7,834,000 Dominicans are estimated to be eligible to vote in 2020.
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Diario Libre
26 April 2018
