Dominican Republic participation in the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) costs the country around RD$140 million a year. The benefits of participation are not known. El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Guatemala and the Dominican Republic are members. Costa Rica opted out from the start. The Parlacen is based in Guatemala.
The 20 Parlacen deputies representing the Dominican Republic are not elected by direct popular vote, but rather are carried over by the senatorial vote in each election.
The Parlacen deputies are paid US$4,658 a month and travel once a month to Guatemala for the sessions. Their travel expenses are covered.
The Parlacen was created to promote regional integration. The president of the Chamber of Deputies Radhamés Camacho defended the expenditure. “In these times, to carry out the peace processes and the processes of integration, one must have capable human resources, and leaders working on policies that can affect the quality of life of Dominicans,” Camacho said.
The Dominican Republic representatives in Parlacen for the 2016-2020 period are:
Manuel de Jesús Pichardo, Diego Aquino Acosta Rojas, Silvia García Polanco, Franklin Rafael de la Cruz Ramos, María Edelmira Marmolejos, José Francisco Peña Guaba and Miguel del Carmen Oviedo Campos, Santiago de Jesús Rodríguez Peña, Altagracia Martha Pérez Campusano, Manuel Antonio Moisés Adames Lockward, Juan Pablo Plácido, María Elena Pérez Ferreras and Víctor Manuel Mojica. And Tony Raful Tejada, Ramón Emilio Gori Taveras, Sergia Elena Mejía, Claudio Miguel Marte González, Máximo Lebrón, Carmen Mirelys Uceta and Carlos José Guzmán Abreu.
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
21 August 2019