The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, and Foreign Relations Minister of the Dominican Republic, Roberto Álvarez, signed on Wednesday, 10 January 2024 an agreement on privileges and immunities for the sending of an Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) for the municipal elections of 18 February and the presidential and congressional elections of 19 May 2024. The agreement also establishes coverage, if necessary, for a second round of the presidential election, on 30 June.
After the ceremony at the OAS headquarters in Washington D.C., Foreign Minister Álvarez recognized that the signing of the agreement “marks a new milestone in the strengthening of our democracy, in our country’s continued commitment to the principles of transparency, justice and electoral equity. It is a reaffirmation of our democratic values and a sign of the trust we place in international institutions to accompany us in these crucial processes.”
Meanwhile, Secretary General Almagro said that for the institution that he leads “it will once again be an honor to contribute through the deployment of a team of international observers and specialists for the various elections this year, in which more than eight million Dominicans will be able to go to the polls to elect more than 4,000 positions of popular representation.”
“The OAS and the Dominican Republic “have worked closely on various cooperation initiatives in recent years, which reflects the deep commitment of the country, its authorities and its institutions, to democracy,” said Almagro
The General Secretariat explained that it accepted the invitation of the Junta Central Electoral of the Dominican Republic (JCE), in October 2023. Once the electoral processes are concluded, the OAS mission will present its report with observations and recommendations to the Permanent Council of the Organization.
The OAS reports that as of 10 January 2024, the OAS, through its Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO) of the Secretariat for Strengthening Democracy, has observed 21 electoral processes in the Dominican Republic.
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OAS
15 January 2024