The representatives of the main opposition parties of Dominican Liberation (PLD), Fuerza del Pueblo and Reformista Social Cristiano (PRSC) agreed on the need for this legislature extraordinary congressmen resume the study of the Penal Code bill.
This was expressed separately to Diario Libre by Yván Lorenzo, Omar Fernández and Ramón Rogelio Genao.
Lorenzo favored that the Criminal Code be approved in this new legislative period because it was agreed upon by more than 90 percent and that there are only two issues on which there are no agreements, among which are the three grounds that would allow abortion .
He specified that his bench would like the Central Electoral Board (JCE) to reintroduce in the shortest possible time the bills No. 15-19 Organic of the Electoral Regime and No. 33-18 of Political Parties, Groups and Movements, which perished in the last legislatureso that you can take advantage of the call for the legislature extraordinary made by Abinader.
He stressed that President Luis Abinader decided to call a legislature extraordinary in order to make the most of time and to get approval of some legislative initiatives pending approval.
Lorenzo also said that his party also hopes that they can pass the Hydrocarbons bill.
However, he stated that he thinks that the government’s greatest interest is to be able to approve various loans that are pending because “this is a voracious government.”
While the spokesman for the block of deputies of the FP, Omar Fernández, hopes that knowledge of the Penal Code Bill can also be resumed so that severe sanctions are imposed for crime and delinquency and because it constitutes an outstanding debt that the congressmen with Dominican society.
He specified that if there is a will in the National Congress this new period of legislative work may be approved bills that they lost in the past legislature for example; that of the Electoral Regime, of Public Trust and the one that modifies Law No.356-05, of August 30, 2005, General of Sports, on assets seized, kidnapped, abandoned, confiscated and in extinction of domain.
He considered it pertinent that the legislature be used to reintroduce the aforementioned initiatives that are very important and continue seeking consensus to correct those issues that were pending improvement, as he understands happened with the Public Trust project. Regarding this last piece, he proposes that the congressmen will be able to correct the mistake of approving it by a simple majority because they believe a qualified majority is required for its favorable sanction.
Regarding the Electoral Regime bill, Fernández specified that the Central Electoral Board (JCE) needs to have claws and guarantees with a view to the next electoral process.
The reformist senator Ramón Rogelio Genao considered that with the Executive’s decision to call a legislature extraordinary, it could be possible to approve several important initiatives with the consensus reached and that, if this does not materialize, it would be a period of work that was used, which does not count for the period of validity of the same.
He said that society is waiting for important laws such as the Penal Code, the Electoral Regime, Public Trust, on assets seized, kidnapped, abandoned, confiscated and domain extinction. And that several prioritized initiatives could be sanctioned.
When asked if he believed that various initiatives could be approved in 32 days, Genao replied that “the Public Trust Bill is already approved and with modifications (in the Chamber of Deputies) and may be announced shortly. The Penal Code was approved in the Senate and the variations introduced by the Chamber are minimal…”.
