The Presidency has allocated an extra RD$2.5 billion in 2023 to the Central Electoral Board (JCE) for the pre-electoral organization works for the 2024 general elections. The president of the JCE, Ramon Jaquez Liranzo said that of the sum, RD$1.5 billion will be used for procurement processes regarding the presidential election’s primaries set for October 2023 and for the municipal elections (Feb 2024) and presidential and congressional elections (May 2024). The additional RD$500 million will be used to offset the 2022 deficit.
The JCE had already been assigned an additional RD$2 billion in the 2022 complementary budget.
The original JCE budget in 2022 was for RD$5.51 billion, and the budget for 2023 is of RD$8.01 billion plus the newly allocated RD$2 billion.
Jáquez Liranzo said the JCE is fully digitalizing the civil registry and seeks the amendment of Civil Registry Law 659 that dates back to 1923.
The announcement was made after President Luis Abinader met with the JCE members Roman Jaquez Liranzo, Rafael Armando Vallejo Santelises, Dolores Altagracia Fernández Sánchez and Samir Rafael Chami Isa at the Presidential Palace on 3 January 2023.
Spokesman for the Presidency, Homero Figueroa said that the government backs the efforts of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) to amend the Electoral Regime Law and the Political Parties Law. The legislation is under review in Congress. A feature in El Caribe reports on how senators have not accepted the changes proposed by the JCE and instead have incorporated measures to make the electoral court more dependent on the political parties. The JCE judges urge the passing of the amendments in time for the legislation to apply to the 2024 general elections. The ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) is majority in both the Senate and Chamber of Deputies.
In remarks on her 4 January 2023 Sin Maquillaje YouTube program, muckraking journalist Altagracia Salazar comments on the major challenges the JCE authorities have in regulating politicians and political propaganda. She highlights how the government is the major advertiser nationwide.
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Presidency
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El Caribe
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Listin Diario
4 January 2023