President Danilo Medina signed the Electoral Regime Bill on 18 February 2019. Law 15-19 was signed with enough time remaining to allow its enactment before the 2020 general elections. It has been debated in Congress for more than a decade. The law provides a legal framework for the Central Electoral Board (JCE) to organize transparent elections.
The Foundation for Institutionalism and Justice (Finjus) states that instead of advancing the electoral process this new law keeps intact many criticized aspects of its predecessor, Law 25-97 and the logic and electoral system that has been used for the past 21 years.
A Finjus press release argues that “coat-tailing” is maintained in the case of election of senators. Finjus states that this distorts voter intention as it turns the vote of a citizen into a vote for a political party in contradiction with the democratic intent. Finjus also criticized the system pointing out that a candidate with the most votes may in fact not win a seat due to political party affiliation.
Finjus also takes exception with the high level of campaign expenses authorized by Congress.
Another major step backwards in the passed bill is the quota for women that is now even less binding than in Law 25-97. In this regard, the Feminist Forum Magaly Pineda has called for President Danilo Medina to reject this bill calling it a major setback for women in politics. “The recently approved Electoral Regime Law establishes, on the contrary, the quota at the national level and presents the risk that the parties place women in the margins where they have no chance of winning,” said Sergia Galván, member of the women’s conglomerate, during a public demonstration that they held in front of the Presidential Palace on 14 February 2019.
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Diario Libre
20 February 2019