2024News

Congress and President sign on for 2024 Constitution

President Luis Abinader received and enacted the Constitution passed by the National Congress on 26 October 2024. This time, the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) is majority in both houses and determined the changes.

President Abinader highlighted during the ceremony that his term ends in August 2028. He becomes the President to earliest firmly announce he will not seek new office. It had become a custom for Dominican President’s to change or attempt to change the Constitution to be able to run again. Abinader has argued he has instated “padlocks” to impede this happening again. This occurred in the cases of Presidents Joaquin Balaguer, Leonel Fernandez, Hipólito Mejía and Danilo Medina.

On Saturday and Sunday, 25 and 26 October 2024, the senators and deputies were convened into the National Assembly for the passing of 10 amended articles (81, 166, 167, 169, 171, 178, 179, 209, 274, 275 of the 2015 Constitution and addition of article 278. Likewise, the 2024 Constitution has 10 transitory clauses.

The new 2024 Constitution makes it more difficult for an elected President to push forward a change to the Constitution to continue in the position beyond two terms. Art. 278 is added that states clearly that no government officer can benefit from constitutional reform passed during the person’s term regarding the rules of running for office, election or term in the position that is held.

The media reported on the lack of sobriety in the ceremony marking the passing of the Constitution. This required the reading of the entire document with its 278 clauses and transitory clauses. Reporters from various newspapers picked up on the utter lack of attention to the reading, as assembly members gathered in small cliques, watched the screens on their cellphones, or just dozed off as the reading of the text continued. Late on Saturday, 25 October, the session was suspended, and it was announced by Ricardo de los Santos, the president of the Senate, that the legislators should return at 9am on Sunday, 26 October to finish the reading of the renovated text and give their final approval.

Interestingly, the Presidency nor the Congress on Sunday or before had not released the 2024 Constitution version with the changes to the general public. The principal media did not either share the full list of changes in its reporting on the new Constitution. Most of the changes were explained as the changes were made, but others were not released to the general public, even on the day of the proclamation, included the extensive list of transitory clauses.

As the 2024 Constitution changes are better known it is likely there will be new discussions. For instance, the implications of the changes to Article 166 on the Attorney General of Public Administration and Article 167 that creates the Office of the Attorney General of the Public Administration as a new agency under the Executive Branch have not been aired.

The 2024 Constitution establishes that the Attorney General of Public Administration serves as the permanent representative of Public Administration before the Administrative Contentious Jurisdiction (Tribunal Superior Administrativo). This is the government officer and representatives that defend the current government when citizens and other government departments dispute actions by government officers. The new constitution creates the Office of the Attorney General of Public Administration as a dependency of the Executive Branch.

A transitory clause establishes that the Attorney General of the Public Administration and deputies will be appointed by decree of the President of the Republic until the corresponding law establishes the method of their appointment.

Read more:

2024 Constitution
Presidency
El Caribe
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Ulises Cabrera
Noticias SIN
Diario Libre
DR1 News

2015 Constitution

28 October 2024