The head of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), Julio Cesar Castaños Guzman, announced that as soon as the Political Parties Bill is enacted, he will convene the political organizations that have been recognized to discuss the rules for the political primaries. The bill calls for these to be held simultaneously. Castaños said that the law, that will provide a guide for political institutions, will foster close collaboration between JCE and the political parties, civic groups and political movements.
In a statement issued to the Diario Libre, Castaños Guzman said that the legislative proposal approved by the Chamber of Deputies authorizes the JCE to draft the rules and regulations for the primaries and take into consideration factors of time, logistics, technology and resources.
The top elections official reported that in a JCE meeting on 8 August 2018, budget considerations for 2018 were concluded, a preamble to the presidential elections of 2020.
The bill approved in the Chamber of Deputies and that is expected to pass in the Senate by Friday, calls for the political parties to determine how they select their candidates. In the case of choosing the modality of primaries, the bill establishes they will be simultaneous for the political parties. The primaries need to be held no later than the first Sunday in October 2019.
The bill was passed with the vote of 146 deputies in favor and 38 against. The bill received the votes of representatives of the PLD (Danilo Medina supporters), but not so supporters of the president of the PLD, former President Leonel Fernandez. The bill also received ‘yes’ votes from deputies that are members of the PRM, PRSC and PRD. The PLD legislators who opposed the bill, say that it violates the Constitution and it is sure be contested in the Constitutional Court. The bill contains clauses to control campaign spending, access to the media, gender and youth participation.
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Diario Libre
Listin Diario
9 August 2018
