On Monday 23 July, 2018, President Danilo Medina by means of Decree 279-18 called for extending the present legislative session to give more time to deliberate on bills currently being considered in Congress, especially the Political Parties Bill and the Electoral Regime Bill. The timely passage of these two bills is necessary to organize the 2020 general elections. The decree states that other outstanding projects will also be discussed.
The extended legislative session will begin on 27 July and end on 15 August 2018, thus running into the second legislative term that begins on 16 August, Restoration Day.
On Monday, the ruling Dominican Liberation Party presented methods for the parties to elect their candidates to elective positions, one of the reasons for the delay in the passing of the bill. The bills have been discussed for over 20 years, as politicians in power have prevented the legislature from voting on the bills to accommodate it to their particular political interests.
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Listin Diario
24 July 2018
