The Central Electoral Board (JCE) approved Resolution 33-19 that regulates the participation of public officials in the 2020 elections. The resolution allows for government officers to campaign outside of their working hours. In the past, government officers had resigned their posts to take time off for election campaigns. This included the recent resignations of the ministers of Education (Andrés Navarro), Environment (Francisco Domínguez Brito) and Interior & Police (Carlos Amarante).
Now Public Administration Minister Ramón Ventura Camejo says that ministers and government officers can participate in campaigning after their government work hours. President Danilo Medina himself has campaigned actively in favor of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) presidential candidate Gonzalo Castillo. The Medina administration argues that campaigning is a constitutional right that can be exercised by the government officers after their official working hours.
The JCE Resolution 33-19 bans the inaugurals of public works 40 days before the date of the municipal elections and 60 days before the date of the presidential and congressional elections.
Orlando Jorge Mera, the delegate of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) to the JCE protested what he called an incomplete interpretation of the electoral law. He said that when referring to Art. 196 of Electoral Law 15-19, the JCE has ignored that Art. 284 of the same law refers to levying fines to government officers that campaign using their official influence. PRM presidential candidate Luis Abinader said: “That an official who manages public funds campaigns be limited to campaign during non-working hours does not guarantee that he will not use state resources in favor of his political interests.” The PRM is the largest opposition party.
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El Dia
Diario Libre
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JCE
2 December 2019