The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) ruled that the reservation of candidacies apply to all levels of the vote and not to the totality of the positions, as has been a common practice. The disposition is in TSE Ruling 27-19, which received the vote of three judges in favor and two against.
The TSE acted on a motion submitted by Fidel Alberto Tavárez of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), who disputed that his political party had handpicked the position of the senator for the province of Monte Plata. Overall, the PRM party had reserved 29 of the 32 senator candidacies for the party.
While the ruling responds to a specific case regarding the PRM, it is most likely to be applied the same to all political parties by the Central Electoral Board (JCE). It will call for a reshuffling of candidacies in the political parties.
Tavarez told El Dia that the decision sets a precedent for future party elections. “The custom of reserving the most important positions will not be part of elections in the future,” he said. So far, the echelons of political parties had handpicked the candidacies, leaving the party rank to choose the less important candidacies.
The president of the TSE, Román Jáquez, had been one of the dissident votes. He said there is nothing in the law that specifies the application of the 20% reserve by the party leadership. He argued the PRM had acted this way given the short time to comply with the new electoral regulations.
El Dia reports that the number of reserves permitted per political party are now:
Senators (total 32), reserves: 6
Deputies (total 190), reserves: 38
Mayors (total 158), reserves 32
City Councilors (total 1,164), reserves 233
Municipal directors (total 235), reserves 47
Municipal members (total 735), reserves 147
As reported, the same principle applies to the quota for choosing women and youth candidates.
Participación Ciudadana civic watchdog organization praised the TSE ruling. The organization said it applies not only to the PRM, but to all the political parties in this situation. The organization understands that all parties in this situation need to send in their lists of candidates to meet the 20% requirement.
The disposition gave the PRM until 30 August to notify its list of reserved candidates in compliance with the opinion of the TSE.
The PRM appealed and the TSE ruling gave the party until Monday, 11 August, to notify the JCE and party member Fidel Alberto Tavarez on the recourse for review of the ruling. The PRM had deposited the appeal to the verdict on Thursday, 8 August.
Read more in Spanish:
The World News
Hoy
OPD
Diario Libre
12 August 2019