The head of the Organization of American States (OAS) observer mission, former President of Chile Eduardo Frei, said Wednesday, 12 February 20, that he hoped the municipal elections would be held in a climate of “peace and tranquility”.
After holding a meeting of more than an hour with the Central Electoral Board (JCE) judges and its president, Julio Cesar Castaños Guzman, Frei remarked so far they have no doubts about or recommendations for the process. He said the mission would be listening to all sectors. He said they seek to verify that was has been established for the voting system, in theory, is being put to practice.
The former Chilean president stressed that the main objective of the OAS observer mission is to make the Dominican electorate trust the process.
“Not only to go out and vote but also to trust the results and the referees. That is why I understand that the teams have been audited and must continue to be audited,” said Frei.
The OAS mission, composed of about 30 people, will present its preliminary report on the outcome of the 16 February municipal election at a press conference on Monday, 17 February, a day after the election.
In addition to the Chief of Mission, the following participated: Gerardo de Icaza, Director of the OAS Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation; Araceli Azuara, Representative of the OAS General Secretariat in the Dominican Republic; Cristóbal Fernández, Deputy Chief of Mission; Brenda Santamaría, Head of the Electoral Observation Section; Francisco Pérez, Advisor to the Chief of Mission; and Mireya López, Press Officer.
The OAS mission will be meeting with representatives of political parties and civil society. On Wednesday, 12 February, the mission met with representatives of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) that denounced the open use of taxpayer money by the government to back its candidates in the 2020 general elections, as reported in the media.
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Listin Diario
Noticias SIN
Noticias SIN
N Digital
13 February 2020