The Central Electoral Board has put a halt to its efforts to introduce electronic voting machines for this year’s municipal and congressional elections in May. The Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (PRD), one of the major players in Dominican politics, had sent a formal note to the JCE expressing their objection to such a project at this time. During the full court session, the election magistrates also approved the new colors for Hatuey de Camps’ PRSD party, and postponed the request for recognition made by several of the political groups that were turned down for political party status for the next elections. Chief magistrate Luis Arias told reporters that the rules and regulations for the upcoming elections were also approved by the board. According to Arias, the decision to halt the process towards the use of electronic voting machines had not received sufficient support, and the board believed that “there was a feeling that this was not the right time for the JCE to take a unilateral decision (about the voting machines).” The vote, however, was not unanimous, according to sources. One of the important rules approved by the board for the upcoming elections was to set 2 March as the limit for the political parties to announce any alliances or fusions they might negotiate for the elections.