The Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) announced that 823 elective posts will be decided by party echelons instead of in the primaries set for 6 October 2019. Of the 823 positions, 29 are for the Senate, 112 for deputies, 51 for city governments, 44 municipal district directors, 373 city councilors and 214 councilors. The three Senate seats that will be decided in the primary are those of the National District, Samaná and Pedernales, where the city mayors are PRM members that are likely to seek reelection. In the province of Santo Domingo, where the PRM has 36 deputies, the party reserved 26 candidate seats, 12 of the 18 in the National District and 14 of the 18 in Santiago.
The ruling PLD said it has reserved 819 candidates, but most of the critical positions were left to be decided in the primary. Those that were blocked were those of the Senate seats in La Altagracia and Sanchez Ramirez that were won by the PRD and the Liberal Party of Amable Aristy Castro, both Danilo Medina allies.
The party deposited before the Central Electoral Board (JCE) motions just to reserve the names of two deputies per electoral district. This is a total of 47 candidatures to deputies, leaving the doors open for possible alliances with other political parties. The PLD reserved 11 positions in Santo Domingo province, five in the National District and San Cristobal, four in Santiago, two in La Altagracia, one in Azua, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, La Romana and Independencia.
It also reserved five national congressional seats, seven overseas congressional seats, 20 in the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) and their 20 replacements. Also 32 city mayor seats, 158 deputy mayor positions, 325 city councilors, 48 district directors and 155 municipal district councilors.
Political scientists Rafael Toribio said that the reserve of the 20% of the candidacies should have been by the level of election, not the totality of the elective posts.
Orlando Jorge Mera, spokesman for the PRM, confirmed the party reserved the candidacy of the National District city mayor. He stated on the La Cuestión radio talk show on Monday, 24 June 2019 that Mayor David Collado does not have any internal opponents. He said that is why they have reserved the position.
The political parties have until the 22 August 2019 deadline to deposit the pre-candidacies for participants in the 6 October 2019 primaries.
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Diario Libre
25 June 2019