President Abinader can run again, while the main directors could not aspire to the presidency of the Republic
President Luis Abinader stated that the main reason for founding the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) was to fight energetically against the anti-democratic and corrupt practices that for decades permeated all levels of national politics, and that were coarsely installed in the different institutions that give life to the Dominican State.
Speaking during the Statutory Reform Convention “Dr. Tirso Mejía Ricart, Abinader stressed that the members of that party are guarantors of rectitude, honesty and transparency.
Abinader pointed out that those who exercised power extended their long tentacles to reach and control justice and all the country’s institutions.
“They blatantly abused their privileges in collusion with certain representatives of the Legislative Power, and attempted to carry out a master plan to bend the will and curtail the independence of State agencies that are so important to national democratic life such as the Central Electoral Board, the Chamber of Accounts or the Attorney General’s Office,” said the president, who spoke as a member of the Executive Directorate of the PRM.
He stressed that in 16 months the PRM has achieved an “irreversible” transformation in various areas, such as the fight against corruption. “The flags that used to belong to the PRM are now the flags that any Dominican raises,” he proclaimed.
The president of the Statutory Reform Commission, Eddy Olivares, read the main themes of the new reform, which he said was inspired by the fathers of the country and the historical leader of that organization, José Francisco Peña Gómez.
Re-election in the PRM
Among the main transcendent issues of the reform, it is highlighted that the President of the Republic, if he is a member of the PRM, can opt for a second consecutive term, which was previously prohibited in that organization, despite being allowed in the Constitution. Similarly, the president and general secretary of the PRM, may not aspire to the Presidency, before the period for which they were elected is completed, even if they resign their posts.
According to the new statutes, to be eligible for the position of president, vice president, secretary general and national undersecretary of the PRM, you must have a minimum of five years of militancy, while at the other levels the requirement will be three years.
Other issues of the reform are the creation of the School of Political Training and Public Management, professor Yvelisse Prats Ramírez.
Likewise, the delegates and alternates before the boards and the electoral colleges will be designated based on the training received at the training school and the presidents and general secretaries of the provincial committees, who were designated by the Executive Directorate, will be elected through the same modality than those of the municipalities.
It was approved to give a special category to women and young people and their respective organizations will be the National Front of Modern Revolutionary Women and the National Front of Modern Revolutionary Youth, which will be autonomous in their operation.
It was determined to create the Secretariat of the Dominican Community Abroad, whose head must reside abroad and be registered in the register.
Also, if a member of the PRM is brought to trial for any of the crimes defined in Dominican law or for a crime that carries a custodial sentence, he will be suspended from his militancy from that moment, and if the sentence results in conviction, the affiliate will be expelled.
Classifies violence against women as very serious
From now on, violence committed by a member of the PRM against a woman is typified as a very serious offense, which will be punished with suspension and expulsion.
The statutory reform of the political organization establishes that the ideology of the official party is democratic socialism, prohibiting double militancy and incorporating the category of sympathizers for those citizens who are not active in other parties and decide to support the PRM.
“All parties are obliged to harmonize their statutes with the new regulations. With this reform, the functioning of our party will become more transparent, we will reconquer the spaces of society that the parties have abandoned,” said Eddy Olivares.
