During the Wednesday 3 July 2019 session, the president of the Senate Reinaldo Pared Perez (PLD-National District) said that he had spoken with Defense Minister Ruben Dario Paulino Sem and the director of the National Police, Major General Ney Aldrin Bautista Almonte, requesting the withdrawal of the units that have been reinforcing security outside the National Congress.
The order for the troops to leave the area comes after tensions had escalated at the National Congress as expectations that President Danilo Medina followers would convene legislators to amend the 2015 Constitution to enable Medina to run for a third time.
The president of the Senate and the president of the Chamber of Deputies Radhamés Camacho had requested the presence of the troops. They expressed concern that protestors would occupy the National Congress and impede congressional sessions from being held.
The troops were called to surround the area from Av. Independencia to the Malecon on 24 June 2019, and had remained at the site affecting city life. Congress is located in the Centro de los Héroes, a critical government office area.
In protest of the militarization, deputies loyal to the opposition party PRM, and those loyal to former President Leonel Fernandez of the PLD had said they would abstain from voting for legislative initiatives placed on the agenda of the day. On Wednesday, 3 July 2019 there was no quorum to vote on bills that were on the agenda.
After Pared Perez made the announcement, the media reported that later in the afternoon the troops were removed from the National Congress.
Time is running out for followers of President Danilo Medina to convene Congress to study a possible amendment of the Constitution to enable Medina to run for a third term. The present session of Congress closes on 26 July, and is not scheduled to reopen until 16 August. President Medina could convene an extraordinary session and order the legislators to keep open the present session.
The president of the Senate, Reinaldo Pared Perez (PLD-National District) stated yesterday that President Danilo Medina still has not decided to quick start efforts to achieve a third term in office.
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Listin Diario
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Diario Libre
El Dia
4 July 2019