The Dominican Episcopal Conference (CED), in its annual Pastoral Letter entitled “Elections 2020: A Space for Participation and Commitment,” called for a transparent electoral process. The CED appealed to the Central Electoral Board (JCE) to assume its responsibility. “The corrupt and illicit practice of buying selling ballots cannot be admitted in full view of everyone while the JCE evades its responsibility and does not take action against this electoral infraction,” said the conference of Roman Catholic Church bishops in the Dominican Republic.
The Roman Catholic Church issues the Pastoral Letter every 21 January on occasion of the Day of Our Lady of Altagracia. This electoral year, the Pastoral Letter focused on the elections.
The Pastoral Letter urges the candidates to present proposals based on the solution of the most urgent needs of the Dominican people, “avoiding the intrigues, slanders and manipulations of the so-called dirty campaigns, as well as the waste of economic resources for the excessive propaganda.”
The bishops state that the candidates’ agenda of concrete actions must include actions to combat public and private administrative corruption, defend the lives of mothers and unborn children, reduce crime and domestic violence, climate change, respect for the legal and constitutional order, migration policies, fair investment in health, justice and social security, employment policies, fair wages and the reduction of poverty.
The church reminds elected officials and others who seek to be elected that public office is to serve with sobriety, education, good sense, gift of government, dignity, authenticity, transparency, wisdom and justice system. The church stresses that politicians should not feel they are indispensable or come to see themselves as political messiahs.
Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) presidential candidate Luis Abinader and Dominican Liberation Party candidate Gonzalo Castillo expressed their agreement with the proposal by the church of the signing of a great political pact for unity in the country.
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16 January 2020