Executive editor of Diario Libre, Adriano Miguel Tejada remarks that Dominican democracy is too expensive. In his 13 February editorial, Tejada points out that the National Congress and the political parties wouldn’t resist a cost-benefit analysis.
Tejada observes that with a little less than 200 members, Congress will cost RD$7.28 billion in 2019, that is RD$100,000 a day per legislator. He says that what exactly they do in favor of the Dominican people is hard to see. Moreover, he makes the point that this high total does not include the tax exemption the legislators receive that is in the billions.
Moreover, he writes that the Central Electoral Board (JCE) will spend RD$7 billion in this pre-electoral year. And political parties are now asking for more for the “new digital game” that is called primaries.
He highlights that the RD$600 million cost allotted this year to the Superior Electoral Board (TSA), should be added on to the high cost of democracy. Its limited range of action puts its use in doubt, he observes.
Furthermore, Tejada says these numbers exclude the biggest expense of all that is the millions that go for political patronage jobs, the ‘botellas’ and ‘nominillas’ “and whatever the politicians can invent to fleece the state.” He says the system has to start acting rationally or there will come a political change with unpredictable consequences.
Read more in Spanish:
Diario Libre
14 February 2019
