On Wednesday, 27 August 2024, Chamber of Deputies legislators found themselves with a surprise unsolicited package on their desks. The Forum of Women in Defense of Life (Fomudevi) had left each legislator a copy of the Constitution, a blue flag inscribed with “RD is Pro-Life,” a booklet with the ideas of founding father Juan Pablo Duarte, and a small figurine resembling a fetus in a plastic bag. This unsolicited package arrived at a time when legislators are preparing to discuss Constitutional Reform and the Penal Code and the abortion debate is again on the table.
Will the marketing effort backfire? While the gift box did result in media headlines for the foundation, several legislators said this was an intrusion into personal beliefs and privacy, as reported in Diario Libre. Congress is as divided as Dominican society is on the issue of abortion. A middle point would have been the passing of the three grounds for exceptions for abortion, as in almost all other countries around the world, but this has not happened here.
As reported in Diario Libre, Gustavo Sánchez, the spokesperson for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) in the Chamber of Deputies, was among the first to express outrage. He condemned the pro-life group’s actions as an “injustice,” arguing that placing these boxes without legislative consent disrespects those who support the three grounds for abortion. Sánchez called for increased vigilance regarding who is allowed inside the main hall to place items on the legislative desks.
Alfredo Pacheco, president of the Chamber of Deputies, emphasized that the legislative desks are the personal workspaces of the legislators that deserve respect. Pacheco urged for enhanced security measures to prevent unauthorized access. He called for actions to be taken to ensure that any group or individual must obtain permission before using lawmakers’ desks.
Pacheco also highlighted the need for respect for diverse viewpoints within the Chamber, noting that the indiscriminate placement of the boxes disregarded the varied stances of individual legislators on the abortion and three exceptions issues.
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Hoy
28 August 2024