The plenary of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) ruled that Luis José Ramfis Rafael Domínguez Trujillo is not eligible to run for President in the Dominican Republic. Domínguez Trujillo is a grandchild of former Dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. He was recently named the presidential candidate for the National Party of Veterans and Civilians (PNVC).
Domínguez always had working against him the fact that he is still a United States citizen. He was born in New York on 22 May 1970. The Dominican Constitution establishes that a foreign-born person needs to have renounced his/her other citizenship 10 years before becoming eligible to run for President in the Dominican Republic.
Dominguez had argued all along that other presidential candidates have been dual citizens and have been allowed to run for office.
Dominguez had been campaigning actively for President. He has already appeared in several polls. In the January 2020 Gallup poll said he had 5.8% popularity.
The decision is in Resolution 18-2020 signed by Julio César Castaños Guzmán, Presidente; Roberto B. Saladín Selin, Carmen lmbert Brugal, Rosario Graciano De Los Santos and Henry Mejía Oviedo.
The JCE resolution takes into consideration constitutional requirements to run for President in the Dominican Republic. The resolution states: “It is verified that Luis Jose Ramfis Rafael Dominguez Truijllo has not documented his resignation to the nationality acquired by birth ten years in advance, nor has he resided in the country during the ten years prior to the nomination of the position he aspires to, for which reason and according to the provisions of Article 20 of the Constitution of the Republic, it is not appropriate to admit his candidacy to the Presidency of the Republic proposed by the National Party of Citizen’s Will (PNVC).”
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Listin Diario
25 February 2020