SANTO DOMINGO.- The Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) warned this Thursday about the risks that independent candidacies represent for Dominican democracy.
The issue was discussed at the meeting of the Political Committee this Thursday in an attempt to find a solution to the ruling of the Constitutional Court.
After concluding this Thursday the meeting of the PLD Political Committee, the general secretary of that organization, Johnny Pujols, assured that the party is not afraid of unregulated candidates, but rather of Dominican democracy and the dangers that the country faces due to the possibility of organized crime infiltrating electoral ballots, financing candidates.
He expressed that the fact that independent candidates can compete under unequal conditions with those of the parties is worrying, since the parties have to present reports because they are regulated and that is what the PLD is demanding.
He noted that unlike political parties, which are held accountable, independent candidates could compete on unequal conditions, posing a challenge to electoral transparency in the country.
Finally, Pujols reiterated the party’s position that independent candidacies be regulated, in this sense he revealed that a PLD commission already met with the JCE and other parties that share the same concern.
The meeting of the Political Committee was headed by the former President of the Republic Danilo Medina, president of the PLD, Johnny Pujols, general secretary; the former vice presidents of the Republic Margarita Cedeño and Jaime David Fernández Mirabal, the past vice presidential candidate, Abel Martínez, José Ramón Fadul, delegate to the JCE and Cristina Lizardo, Secretary of Minutes.
The meeting took place at the Reinaldo Pared Pérez National House with the absence with excuses of only three of its members: Carlos Pared Pérez, Najib Chahede and the vice president of the organization Temístocles Montás.
