An editorial in Diario Libre on 16 May 2018, asks whether the RD$5.6 billion estimated cost of the open primaries backed by President Danilo Medina’s followers in Congress would not be better used supporting development. The JCE has estimated that if the Chamber of Deputies gives the green light to simultaneous open primaries to be organized by the Central Electoral Board (JCE) for all political parties, this would put a heavy burden on the country’s finances.
As ordered, the 2020 general elections requires the holding open primaries on 17 November 2019, municipal elections with preferential vote of city councilors on 16 February 2020 and presidential and congressional elections on 16 May 2020. The cost of these elections is estimated at more than RD$12 billion. The amount for politics climbs to RD$16 billion when the RD$4 billion allotted for the political parties is added in, as reported by the local media.
The elective positions are broken down in 1 president and vice president, 32 senators, 190 deputies, 20 Latin American Parliament positions, 158 mayors, 1,164 city councilors, 234 district directors, 730 district members, and 1,577 replacements, for 4,106 positions. Multiply this by the average three pre-candidates per position, and 26 political parties and you have the 320,268 participants opting to be elected.
Diario Libre in an editorial wonders about all that could be built with RD$5.6 billion — 1,800 school rooms, or 40 hospitals, highways….
Read more in Spanish:
Por El Ojo de la Cerradura
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/am/primarias-abiertas-o-desarrollo-EH9876464
17 May 2018
