PRSC sent acts of bailiff to order the Central Electoral Board (JCE) and the Ministry of Hacienda from allotting funds to political parties for their primaries to choose their political candidates for the 2020 general election. The president of the PRSC, Federico Antún Batlle said that the recent decision by the JCE to authorize that 85% of the funding for the primaries for five political parties, including the ruling party, come from state funds is in violation of the Political Parties Law 33-18.
The cost of the primaries is estimated at RD$1.45 billion of which the political parties would only need to contribute RD$200 million, according to the agreement. Political parties that would celebrate primaries are the PLD, PRM (closed voting list), PRD, and the minority parties Al Pais and Opción Democrática. The PRSC chose a less costly method to choose its candidates.
Law 33-18 in its article 47, clearly establishes that the resources to organize the process of the primary elections of the parties, groups and political movements to elect their candidates in the ordinary elections will be deducted, prior agreement with the political organizations, of the economic contribution that the state provides to the parties, regardless of other contributions to the Central Electoral Board, says Antún Batlle.
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El Dia
11 February 2019
