Santo Domingo.-On Saturday the reading of the new Constitution of the Republic that will be proclaimed this Sunday at 10:00 in the morning during a solemn ceremony that will be led by President Luis Abinader, in the National Assembly Hall.
The internal regulations indicate that the text must be read in full and that the work of the assembly members concludes when the National Review Assembly proclaims the new Dominican Constitution.
While the president of the Senate, Ricardo de los Santos, explained that the reading of the constitutional text began on Saturday afternoon and would conclude this Sunday morning.
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For the acts of proclamation of reform number 40 of the Magna Carta, the Senate of the Republic issued invitations to more than 100 personalities and representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in the country.
The new Charter will have 278 articles, one more than the previous one, which consists of 277.
The 39 previous modifications have been made during the mandates of Pedro Santana, Buenaventura Báez, Ulises Heureaux, Horacio Vásquez, Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, Joaquín Balaguer, Hipólito Mejía, Leonel Fernández, Danilo Medina.
These periods of constitutional change span 180 years, from November 6, 1884 to the present.
Abinader is the 10th president to modify the Constitution of the Dominican Republic.
9 other leaders had done the same, the most common motivations being personal, group, political interests, as well as institutional crises.
The most recent had been in 2015 orchestrated by President Danilo Medina to guarantee his reelection and block the aspirations of his then opponent and party partner, former president Leonel Fernández.
With the Sunday proclamation that will be made after the speech and signature by President Luis Abinader, the work of the National Review Assembly will be closed.
The national political leadership, businessmen, religious authorities, businessmen, diplomats, civic groups and special guests have been invited to the event.
The last four reforms had been those of 1994, 2002, 2010 and 2015, which arose from institutional crises and political motivations and interests.
This period of continuous changes to the Magna Carta covers from 1844-2024, a space of 180 years.
This is since the signing of the first Constitution endorsed in San Cristóbal on November 6, 1844.
Until now, the presidents who have promoted constitutional modifications have done so to adjust it to their interests.
The current “Law of Laws” consists of 277 articles and 19 transitional provisions.
The protocol
The protocol act includes the signing of the new Constitution by the President of the Republic. In addition, the president will receive a copy from the president of the National Assembly, Ricardo de los Santos.
It is a solemn event where, in addition to Abinader, personalities and special guests will be present and must be broadcast on a radio and television network, as mandated by article 73 of the regulations that govern meetings of the National Assembly.
The protocol also establishes a 21-gun salute at the beginning and conclusion of the proclamation.
“On the day the reformed Constitution is proclaimed, the work of the National Assembly meeting to resolve the reforms to the Constitution will be definitively closed,” says the sole paragraph of article 73 of the internal regulations of the functioning of the National Assembly.
Article 74 of said regulations establishes that: “The day of the constitutional proclamation will take place in a solemn ceremony in the Hall of the National Assembly, in which the complete text of the reformed Constitution will be read; for this occasion, the fire salutes of twenty-one guns, at the beginning and conclusion of the proclamation of the text of the Constitution definitively adopted.”
Once the work for which the National Assembly was convened is concluded, the president of the Assembly Ricardo de los Santos will announce the day and time for the proclamation of the text of the Constitution that has been adopted.
Paragraph II of article 74 of said regulation says that on the day the reformed Constitution is proclaimed, the work of the National Assembly meeting to resolve the reforms to the Constitution will be definitively closed.
The changes
The new Constitution, among other clauses, establishes that the President elected on the third Sunday of May 2024, will never again be able to run for the same position, nor for the vice presidency of the Republic, he will be proclaimed this Sunday the 27th with the presence of the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader.
The event will take place in the National Assembly Hall.
In addition, the prohibition on presidential re-election for a third term, reduction of the registration of deputies from 190 to 170, and unification of presidential, congressional and municipal elections, strengthening the independence of the Public Ministry.
In this sense, the National Assembly modified articles 81, 166, 167, 169, 171, 178, 179, 209, 268, 274, and the inclusion of article 278 to the Magna Carta, as well as the transitional provisions included in the modifications , which indicate that the president of the Republic elected on the third Sunday of May 2024 will never again be able to run for the same position or for the vice presidency of the Republic.
Article 209 of the Magna Carta states that the electoral assemblies will operate in electoral colleges that will be organized in accordance with the law. These elections will be held on the third Sunday in May every 4 years.”
a note
The new Constitution
After the proclamation of the new Magna Carta by the National Review Assembly, the president of the Senate and the Assembly, Ricardo de los Santos, will deliver a speech before the plenary session. Later, the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, could give another speech from the stage of the National Assembly hall.
The reading of the New Constitution began at 3:59 in the afternoon on Saturday, with the attendance of 157 assembly members and with a 21-gun salute by a regiment of the Army of the Dominican Republic. The protocol indicates that after the proclamation there will also be a 21-gun salute.
