Yesterday the Dominican Conference of Catholic Bishops called on the officials, candidates and voters in the upcoming May 16 elections to work together to ensure elections are free from fraud. ?It would be very sad if a victory should be sought not in a fair way, but marred by shady maneuvers. No one should accept a continuance of the shameful practice of purchasing or forging voting cards and the other types of frauds that should be left in the past,? said the bishops as they expressed their support for the pact signed by the candidates of the three leading parties last Friday at the PUCMM.
In a six-point message, the bishops call for the implementation of an austere election, without scandalous free-spending of resources. The bishops also focused on the need for peace. ?The last thing needed by this nation and its citizens, who are irritable and tense because of the loss of buying power, is violence and harsh confrontations,? stated the Church in its first point.
The clergymen called attention to the Central Electoral Board?s role in being impartial and as a defender of truth, transparency, and expediency to avoid dangerous delays of the preliminary and final election counts.
Appealing to the DR?s civism, the Church called for Dominicans to not abstain from voting in the 2004 Presidential election. ?It is not about choosing an ideal or perfection, but about choosing who we feel is the best of the candidates,? says the message.
Noting that a second round of voting is a possibility, the message reminded that Dominicans must be willing to return to the voting stations a second time if necessary.
The Church also highlighted several criteria for good government.
Finally, the Church pointed out that in any race one must be willing to win or lose and that a competitor who loses with grace deserves as much respect and admiration as the winner. ?To know how to win is to accept the results with humility, aware of the burden to be carried and the responsibility placed on his shoulders,? stated the Church.