Thirteen opposition parties today called on the Central Electoral Board (JCE) to recognize the magnitude of the crisis that affects the JCE’s credibility and demanded an exhaustive explanation of the reasons for the suspension of the municipal election on Sunday, 16 February 2020. The position of the opposition parties is contained in a document read by Orlando Jorge Mera of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM).
In addition to PRM, the document is signed by the following parties: Alianza País (Country Alliance), Partido Reformista Social Cristiano (Social Christian Reformist Party), Partido Humanista Dominicano (Dominican Humanist Party), Fuerza del Pueblo (People’s Force), Dominicans for Change, Bloque Institucional Social Demócrata (Social Democrat Institutional Bloc), Frente Amplio (Broad Front), Fuerza Nacional Progresista (National Progressive Force), Alianza por la Democracia (Alliance for Democracy), Partido Quisqueyano Demócrata Cristiano (Quisqueyano Christian Democratic Party), Partido Revolucionario Social Cristiano (Social Christian Revolutionary Party), Partido de la Unidad Nacional (Party of National Unity).
The opposition parties emphasize that despite the questioning of various sectors that considered that the automated vote could be violated, the JCE had insisted for more than a year that the system was “safe and impenetrable”, contrary to what happened.
They called on all political, social and institutional sectors to recognize that the situation created is extremely serious, endangering not only democratic institutions, but also the economic and social stability of the nation. Jorge Mera says the reputation of the country has been affected by the elections that were suspended only four hours after the voting process had begun.
He said the electoral authority has the duty to explain to the country and the world how the automated voting system was tampered with, preventing the operation of the machines in more than 80% of the polling stations. They say the JCE needs to explain why 20% of the polling stations did not suffer alteration of their systems.
The parties demanded legal actions and sanctions for the events that impeded the free exercise of the vote. They requested that all the equipment be safeguarded so that the International Foundation of Electoral Systems (IFES) experts can determine how the system was violated.
The politicians criticized that the JCE had acted unilaterally, without consulting the parties, and without having given any explanation of what happened last Sunday, when announcing a new election date on 15 March. They considered it inconceivable that the JCE should pretend that nothing has happened here and that everything would be resolved with a new call for elections.
Read more in Spanish:
El Dia
El Caribe
Diario Libre
20 February 2020