The Chamber of Deputies announced that it will meet on Thursday, 9 April 2020 to pass the resolution approved on Monday, 6 April in the Senate that would extend the present State of Emergency through 8 May 2020. The emergency state removes control red tape so that the government can make expedited purchases and build infrastructure to respond to the present Covid-19 health crisis.
The emergency state resolution needs 50% + 1 of the vote of the present legislators.
The session had been scheduled to convene on Tuesday, 7 April 2020 but was postponed to Thursday, after the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Radhames Camacho [Dominican Liberation Party (PLD)-National District], tested positive for the disease.
Several other deputies have been affected. PLD Deputy Luis Henriquez, who represents Santo Domingo province, is the latest to reveal that he tested positive for the coronavirus. The list of legislators afflicted with the virus has been increasing.
Others that have tested positive are the spokesman for the PLD in the Chamber of Deputies, Gustavo Sánchez, and Manuel Diaz, who is a deputy for the PLD for San Cristóbal. Sánchez is hospitalized.
There is speculation that Angela Pozo, the vice president of the Chamber, is also affected. Earlier she had announced that her daughter had tested positive. Nevertheless, it was Pozo who convened the meeting for Thursday.
Senator Jose Hazim has tested positive and was hospitalized.
Diario Libre reports that the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) has 80 deputies. Of these four legislators are sick. The opposition, including the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) and the People’s Force of former President Leonel Fernández together have 70 votes. The Reformist Social Christian Party (PRSC) has 6 and the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), a strong ally to the PLD, has 11.
The opposition party PRM has conditioned its vote to increased controls in public bidding carried out by the government for coronavirus medical supplies. This week, the party has revealed widespread irregularities in the bidding to combat the disease. These lead the government to cancel upwards of RD$2.72 billion in what was identified as irregular contracting by the National Health Service.
Read more in Spanish:
Hoy
El Caribe
Diario Libre
8 April 2020