On the morning of Monday, 18 November 2019, the president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), Julio César Castaños Guzmán had accepted the instructions from the Constitutional Court (TC) that it needed to decide by 8 December whether former President Leonel Fernández could run for president in 2020. Talking with journalists, Castaños Guzmán explained that on 8 November the Constitutional Court (TC) had asked for the JCE opinion on the matter. The TC gave the JCE 30 days to issue their opinion.
Then on the same Monday, 18 November 2019, the JCE issued Resolution No. 29-19 whereby it postpones whether it accepts or rejects the presidential candidacy of Fernandez until the Constitutional Court rules on the case. The JCE instructed that Resolution No. 29-19 reflecting this decision be notified to the PRSC that has submitted Leonel Fernández as their presidential candidacy in the 2020 election.
So, the debate continues on whether Fernández can run for the presidency after the JCE ruled he lost in the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) primary on 6 October 2019. The Political Parties Law 33-18 and the Electoral Regime Law 55-19 have articles that would seem to impede Fernández from running for President for another party after losing in a primary in his first party. Those who favor allowing Fernandez to run argue that it is his constitutional right that cannot be overridden by a law.
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19 November 2019