With barely a week to go before the closing of the extraordinary legislature, scheduled for next February 15, the Chamber of deputies began yesterday the study of the project of law of the Electoral Regime, on which previous agreements were reached between senators and deputies with the aim of expediting its approval in this legislative period.
Most of the deputies members of the special commission studying the piece were receptive to the most recent modifications made in the Senate, except for the representative of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Plutarco Pérez, who insisted on defending the position of that opposition organization to be penalized the turncoat and that the automated voting to future.
“They are not required”
The president of the special commission of the Chamber of deputiesElías Wessin Chávez, valued that all the observations made by the deputies were taken into account by the Senate, which, in his opinion, will help expedite the work and allow them to submit their report as soon as possible.
He recalled that in several “informal meetings” senators and deputies They sought consensus on some issues on which disagreements persisted. However, he stressed that because they are unofficial meetings, the plenary sessions of both chambers are not obligated to accept these agreements. Also, the deputy from the Quisqueyano Democratic Party (PQDC) reported that at this stage of the discussions they will not invite some sectors, as was done in the previous ordinary legislature, and that they will concentrate on studying the 26 modifications made to the piece in the Senate , which implied increasing the piece by 16 more articles.
After the meeting, Wessin Chávez revealed that they read the changes introduced in the Senate and that today they will meet again to agree on the initiative.
will welcome changes
The perremeista deputy Amado Díaz admitted that the review process of the project of law of the Electoral Regime must be agile and continuous to approve the initiative between February 12 and 13. It favored the achievement of a more finished and complete regulation and in accordance with what the Constitution establishes. Although he did not rule out that the project be modified, he recalled that “if everything that had to be done was done, the piece will not have to be modified.”
The deputy of the People’s Force, Tobías Crespo, affirmed that his party wants to comply with the Constitution and the laws. He recalled that the Constitutional Court has issued several sentences that must be included in the “new regulations”, if approved.
Meanwhile, the reformist deputy Máximo Castro Silverio was very optimistic that the piece could be approved in the current legislature. He said that, since they would only review Senate amendments, “there is not much to do and adjust.”
The PLD, apparently, is the only one that has resistance to the Electoral Regime bill being approved as agreed in the Senate. Yesterday, Deputy Plutarco Pérez assured that the PLD maintains its firm position on turncoats, so that it is penalized and that electronic voting be included in the future. He argued that the Lower House must agree because “a single political force cannot impose its criteria.” He said that of the three main parties, two must agree because they require a qualified majority.
