Former Central Electoral Board judge Julio Cesar Castanos Guzman considered abusive that the government disbursed RD$412 million to the political parties when public hospitals do not have medicines, there are not enough schools for children, as reported in Hoy today. He says politicians are a privileged class in the DR.
Castanos Guzman spoke during the workshop on Pending Electoral Reforms: Strengthening of the Electoral System organized by Participacion Ciudana civic group. “At some point, this will have to be revised,” he commented emphasizing that money that goes to politics means there is less money that can be used to reduce poverty.
To make matters worse, a recent modification to the electoral law now calls for taxpayers to fund the primaries of the political parties, to the tune of an additional RD$450 million.