Former President Leonel Fernandez, speaking for a coalition of opposition parties, rejected the proposal that the Economic and Social Council of the government serve as mediator in the present political crisis caused after e-voting machine glitch led to the cancelation of the municipal election on 16 February. Fernandez says the CES is a government entity that was created as a government consulting body and operates under the Ministry of the Presidency. He said the government and its Central Electoral Board (JCE) created the problem and thus does not have the legitimacy to serve as mediator.
Fernandez is running for president for the People’s Force (Fuerza del Pueblo), a party that was born when he split from the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) after contesting the legitimacy of the results of the 6 October primary held using the same automated voting machines. Fernandez is a three-term President of the Republic who prior to the crisis had been the president of the PLD.
Fernandez says that after the abortion of the 16 February election, the issue at hand is to overcome the confidence crisis that exists regarding the government itself and the JCE. He said the FP, the Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), the Social Democrat Institutional Bloc (BIS), the Christian Democrat Quisqueyan Party (PQDC), the National Unity Party (PUN) and the National Progressist Force (FNP) have proposed a national dialogue with the participation of the government as a player, not a mediator.
He said they have suggested the other members of the table could be a representative of the National Business Council (Conep), the Episcopate Council (the Roman Catholic Church), the Christian churches, Citizen Participation civic movement and a well-known national figure. This is addition to a member of the Organization of American States and the European Union. He also said a representation of the youth organizations that had a transcendental role in recent activities to defend Dominican democracy and institutions should be present.
The 21-24 February 2020 Greenberg-Diario Libre poll revealed that 68% of Dominican voters distrusts the Central Electoral Board (JCE). 85% of Dominicans told the pollsters that the management of the general elections had worsened.
Read more in Spanish:
El Caribe
Listin Diario
Diario Libre
4 March 2020