Despite Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) presidential candidate Miguel Vargas Maldonado leading the PLD-PRD-Fuerza del Pueblo coalition for candidates into the 2024 general elections, that party suffered its downgrading from majority party to minority party. The difference is enormous in taxpayer money received for party activities.
As reported in Diario Libre, the PRD obtained 1.69% of valid votes in the May election elections. From receiving RD$252 million for political activities from 2020 to 2024, the party now with minority status will receive RD$30 million a year.
The PRD received 217,458 votes in the May elections, of which 19,790 were at the presidential level; 105,227 votes at the senatorial level; 86,976 at the level of territorial deputies and 5,465 of deputies abroad.
In the 2020 elections, the PRD had recorded a 5.69% of valid votes, making the cut then for majority party status or RD$252 million in annual revenues.
Article 61 of Political Parties Law 33-18 regarding the distribution of National Budget funds establishes that 80% will be distributed amongst the organizations that obtain more than 5% of the valid votes cast in the general election.
If it is an electoral or pre-electoral year, the parties receive RD$1,260,400,000.00. Otherwise, the amount intended for the majority parties would be RD$1,008,320,000.00.
Political parties that retain their majority status are the ruling Modern Revolution (PRM), the Dominican Liberation (PLD) and the Fuerza del Pueblo (FP) that made the 5% cut.
Another 12%, equivalent to RD$151,248,000.00, will be divided between the parties that have increased to 1% or less than 5%. Meanwhile, 8%, or RD$100,832,000.00, will be distributed between those who received between 0.01% and 1% of the vote.
The majority parties
The final report of the votes of the past few elections places the Partido Revolucionario Moderno (PRM) as the organization that received the most votes in the three levels with a total of 6,054,562 or 47.02% of the vote. Of these PRM votes, 2,113,100 correspond to the presidential level; 1,876,264 at the senatorial; 1,983,852 to territorial officials and 81,346 to external officials.
The Fuerza del Pueblo with 2,692,413 equivalent to 20.91%. In the presidential level this final party 1,164,122, in the senatorial level 797,059, in the deputies 704,834 and the deputies of the external 26,398.
The PLD is now the third majority political party, dropping from second place to third after receiving 1,821,886 valid votes or 14.15%. At the presidential level the PLD received 453,468; for the Senate 726,833; territorial deputies, 626,628 and their candidates for external deputies logged 14,957 votes.
Parties with 1% to 5%
Only five parties were able to obtain 1% or more of the valid votes of the past elections.
They are the Partido Reformista Social Cristiano (PRSC) with 1.37%; Dominicanos por el Cambio with 1.21%; Bloque Institucional Social Demócrata (BIS) with 1.03% and Justicia Social, 1.10%.
Parties in the 0.01% and 1% category
In the general elections in May 2024, 34 political organizations participated. In this case, three more than 5% of valid votes were obtained, five more than 1% and one 26 accumulated 0.01%. Among the parties that obtained less than 1% are the Frente Amplio, Partido Unión Demócrata Cristiana (UDC), Opción Democrática (OD), Partido Primero la Gente (PPG), Partido País Posible (PPP), Partido Esperanza Democrática (PED), the Partido Demócrata Institucional (PDI) and the Partido Socialista Criticado (PSC), among others.
Read more in Spanish:
Diario Libre
JCE
17 June 2024