The Disputes Chamber of the Central Electoral Baord (JCE) ruled that Vicente Sanchez Baret, present director of Customs in the Mejia administration, is officially the new president of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD). The JCE also defended the legality of President Mejia’s candidacy on grounds that it meets the requirements of the Electoral Law. With the announcement by Chamber president, Nelson Gomez, the JCE ruled on the internal dispute within the PRD between followers of Hatuey Decamps and the PPH faction that supports President Mejia’s re-election. Decamps was ousted as party president Decamps during the same 18 January primary when Mejia’s candidacy was validated. Other leading contenders for the PRD nomination did not participate in the primary, alleging irregular use of government resources for Mejia’s campaign activities. The President won the candidacy over his close friend from Santiago, Dr. Frank Joseph Thomen, who registered his candidacy despite missing the registration deadline established by the JCE. The faction behind Decamps has since taken over the PRD’s headquarters as part of the party infighting. Decamps says the JCE’s decision to uphold Sanchez Baret’s appointment is censurable because it should have waited for the verdict of the Supreme Court of Justice onwhat he deemed to be “irregularities” regarding the convention of the PRD’s National Executive Committee. For his part, Sanchez Baret has told the press he will take office “when he feels like it.”
Yesterday, however, Sanchez Baret said that he expected a political agreement to be reached soon with Decamps. “We are fellow party members, from the same town and friends, and I know we can come to an agreement,” he told El Dia newspaper.