After President Luis Abinader surprisingly, and at last minute, named the Mayor of La Vega Kelvin Cruz to be his Minister of Sports, a strange situation has surfaced, seemingly a first for Dominican politics.
It is that vice mayor, Amparo Custodio, did not accept to be mayor. She says the people voted for Cruz, not for her. She understands she would not have legitimacy in assuming the role from now until April 2028. Custodio says she leaves open the doors for the ruling PRM party to appoint Cruz’s successor. Custodio says she leaves open the doors for the ruling PRM party to appoint Cruz’s successor.
It is not that she does not know the job. Noticias SIN explains that Custodio had served as vice mayor during the terms of Cruz at the La Vega city government.
Custodio is also a prominent member of the Dominican Teachers Association (ADP). Custodio’s own political career had spanned a decade since she served as a city councilor in La Vega and held a leadership role in the national board of the Frente Amplio party.
She says she will take more teaching subjects in her role as a biology professor at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD).
As reported in Noticias SIN, Eddy Olivares, former member of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) and current executive vice president of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), says that President Luis Abinader must now appoint a new mayor for La Vega. Yet, the outgoing Mayor has said he will name his replacement.
Municipal Law 176-07 in its article 64 establishes that the president of the board of councilors needs to call an extraordinary session to appoint the secretary general of the city government as acting mayor. The councilors already met and have named secretary general Joel Martinez as acting city mayor.
Article 64 of the Municipal Law 176-07 addresses the replacement of a mayor when the position becomes vacant. It stipulates that the vice mayor should be sworn in by the Municipal Council in an extraordinary session called for this purpose. If the vice mayor’s position is also vacant, the appointment falls to the President of the Republic.
Article 64 – Replacement of the Mayor: If a vacancy occurs in the mayor’s position for any reason, the vice mayor will be sworn in by the Municipal Council during an extraordinary session convened for this purpose.
Paragraph 1: If there is no vice mayor, the President of the Council will request the President of the Republic to make the appointment according to the procedure established in the Constitution.
Paragraph 2: If the vice mayor resigns or is unable to perform the duties of mayor, the position will be temporarily filled by the General Secretary or another official designated by the Municipal Council.
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Esta Noche con Mariasela
20 August 2024