A bill that resulted from the work of the Commission for the Reform and Modernization of the State in 1999 has failed to be passed by legislators from the two political parties that have had a majority say in Congress since then.
A report in El Dia today, Wednesday 13 November says that the PRD looked the other way when it held the majority in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies from 1998 to 2006, and the PLD, which now controls both legislative houses, has also shown a lack of interest in passing the bill. As explained by its advocates, civil society representatives, the Bill for Parties and Political Groups seeks to strengthen Dominican democracy by improving the quality of the democratic exercise and politics, making their acts transparent and motivating political practices that are in line with principles, values and ethics.
As reported, the Central Electoral Board (JCE) has sent several versions of the bill for legislative discussion by the boards of the PLD, PRD and the PRSC parties but none want to take a definitive decision. The latest revision was presented in 2011. As reported, the PRD faction led by former President Hipolito Mejia prepared its own bill and sent it to the country’s leaders, including President Danilo Medina. The ruling PLD party’s Political Committee set up a commission with jurists Rafael Alburquerque and Cesar Pina Toribio to report on the bill, but a recent version has not been presented to the JCE.
The reporter concludes that it appears that the political elite does not want to be under the Sword of Damocles that enacting the legislation would represent for the present situation.
Élite política elude Ley de Partidos por temor a ‘espada de Damocles’