The Civic Participation Movement (PC) presented on Wednesday, 18 December 2019, its overview of 2019, highlighting corruption, impunity, civic empowerment, media pressure and an almost absolute predominance of electoral political issues throughout the year.
The report says that politics dominated the year. It began with the approval of the Law of Political Parties and the Electoral Regime Law in February and the preparations for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) primary in October.
PC sees the recent rulings by the Higher Electoral Court (TSE) and the Constitutional Court (TC), regarding errors and violations of rights in the Political Parties and Electoral Regime laws, as a positive. PC says that all the rules were decisions in favor of citizens’ rights. These have contributed to the strengthening of democratic institutions and add an element of confidence to the electoral system.
Likewise, PC favored “the growing pressure from citizens and the national press to improve the quality of the democratic and electoral processes in the country”. PC report highlights that the demand for clean, fair and transparent elections made by citizens, prevented President Danilo Medina Sanchez from seeking an amendment of the 2015 Constitution to enable him to run for a third term.
PC points out that several groups and proposals have emerged that advocate a change in the culture of abuse of public resources, fraud and violation of laws.
Among the negatives of the year, in a nutshell, PC mentions the limitations to Dominican voting abroad, early political campaigning, and the lack of equality in the pre-campaign. Also mentioned is the government sponsorship of the Gonzalo Castillo pre-candidacy, allegations of fraud in the 6 October primary, and mistrust of all sectors in the Central Electoral Board (JCE).
According to PC, corruption without punishment continues to be the norm in 2019, since none of the most notable cases in recent years has been subject to sanctions in the courts.
PC also refers to the ineffectiveness of the Chamber of Accounts, a government body created to audit public accounts.
It also refers to recent evidence of additional bribes paid to Odebrecht construction company, or the so-called “codinomes,” as the most significant new scandal in 2019.
PC also exposes the overvaluation in the construction of public hospitals, such as those of José María Cabral y Báez de Santiago and Luis Eduardo Aybar in Santo Domingo, which began with a RD$699 million peso bid that has escalated to RD$14.5 billion.
The evidence presented by journalist Marino Zapete on the irregularities in procurement at the Ministry of Public Works under presidential candidate Gonzalo Castillo, including one case involving the sister of the Attorney General, that has been ignored by state prosecution, is another matter of concern presented by PC in its annual report.
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El Nuevo Diario
19 December 2019