Vice President Margarita Cedeño supports automated voting and efforts to strengthen the credibility of the Central Electoral Board (JCE). The Vice President had backed her husband, former President Leonel Fernández, in his aspirations for a fourth term in government. Fernández lost to the candidate backed by President Medina, Gonzalo Castillo. Fernández claims he lost due to fraud. He broke away from the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) to seek a merger with the Dominican Labor Party (PTD) to create the La Fuerza del Pueblo (The People’s Force), announcing he would be the new party’s presidential candidate in the 2020 election. The JCE has yet to rule on whether Fernández can run for that party.
Fernández has requested the government conduct a forensic audit of the automated voting system. He also asked that the Organization of American States, European Union, and United States government participate in the forensic audit. Fernández has disputed the use of the automated voting system in the upcoming elections, arguing that the pilot test failed.
The JCE announced the contracting of Deloitte Costa Rica. Local news reports say the company has ties with José Luis de Ramón and his Deloitte & Touche, the Dominican affiliate to Deloitte. De Ramón is described as a major advisor to the government.
After Fernández split from the PLD, Cedeño chose to stay within the party. She is now backing the candidacy of Gonzalo Castillo.
In a video, Cedeño said she supports the use of the automated voting system in the upcoming municipal, congressional and presidential elections set for 2020. She says the computerized voting system is a step forward for Dominican democracy.
“We are very much in agreement with automated voting and that 100% of the physical ballots be counted to confirm the vote count so that we can continue to modernize and advance in this digital era,” said Cedeño, who is a member of the Political Committee of the ruling party.
She called for the strengthening of the credibility of the JCE among the population and that the next elections be held in a transparent and secure manner.
“We must be able to satisfy the concerns that exist in some parties so that confidence in the institutionalism of the JCE is strengthened and we can continue to exercise this democracy freely, voluntarily, independently and increasingly strong,” she stated.
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N Digital
Z101 Digital
14 November 2019