The Constitutional Court (TC) says the interpretation by the Central Electoral Board (JCE) of the Preferential Vote Law 157-13 violates the 2015 Constitution. The Constitutional Court ruling means that voters can now vote separately for all senators and deputies in the 17 May 2019 congressional election. The JCE had previously ordered that only voters in 26 provinces could do so. In Santo Domingo, Santiago, La Vega, Puerto Plata, San Cristóbal and the National District, the votes cast for deputies would have been allocated to the senator.
The ruling needs to be published by the Constitutional Court for it to be final. The schedule for the publishing of the verdict is Monday, 12 August 2019.
Javier Cabreja, former executive director of the civic watch group Participación Ciudadana (Citizen Participation), called the ruling “a transcendental decision.” He was interviewed for the La Cuestión radio talk show on La Super 7FM. He expects the quality of congressional candidates to step up now that these will be more accountable. Senators will no longer be able to ride on the wave of deputy popularity. He highlighted that legislative candidates are less likely to be imposed by political agreements to the convenience of party echelons.
Cabreja explained the decision revokes the “political package” voters were being served. By voting for one person of his choice, the voter got the deputy, but also the senator, national deputy, and the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) deputy of the same party. He said very few voters were aware of this.
Cabreja only lamented that the Constitutional Court had taken so long for the ruling. It was first presented in 2014 by lawyer Angel Lockward. Cabreja said that if the Constitutional Court had decided back then, the matter never would have been an ambiguous issue in the Political Parties Law passed in 2018.
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El Nuevo Diario
12 August 2019