Remarks La Romana deputy Eugenio Cedeño made on the radio talk show “Mas Cerca” (La Rocka 91.7) have been the talk of the town this week. The ruling political party deputy commented that the deputies’ privileges are justified “because they are the princes elected by the people.” He highlighted that “in all societies, princes have privileges.”
“We are 190 princes of the nation, chosen by our people to represent them in a national forum… I represent La Romana and its 300 thousand inhabitants. They chose me to represent them in the congress,” said Cedeño.
“The privilege comes with the position, not the person. When I stop being a deputy, I will not receive a single gift basket for Christmas,” he observed.
He complained that the only privileges that are discussed, questioned and criticized are those of the deputies.
“You see that the senators are hardly criticized, they only attack the deputies… You don’t know the privileges that a minister can have, what a general director, an army general has… I want us to investigate those, too and that the general public be aware of those privileges,” he remarked.
He says he has submitted a bill that rules that legislators only get one vehicle exemption per term and that there be limits to the amount. He proposes that the imported vehicle leave Customs once the license plate is issued to the legislator.
Senator Faride Raful (PRM-National District) was prompt to react to the reference to royalty and legislators. She tweeted: “Legislators are not princes, nor are presidents kings. Monarchies fell when they became entrenched in maintaining and defending irritating privileges. Beware.”
Raful says she used one vehicular exoneration for the vehicle she uses.
In the Dominican Republic, legislators receive multiple privileges. Among these is that they are excluded from the social security system voted by the legislators and instead have expensive health plans with no limits. They also have their own pension plans with generous allotments, separate from the social security plans voted by the legislators for most taxpayers. In addition, they receive two unlimited vehicle import permissions per year. This is in addition to high wages and many other perks.
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17 March 2022