After two decades deposited in Congress, the bill of a new Penal Code became a reality a few months ago when a bicameral commission worked hard to approve what is now known as the Law 74-25.
One of the thorniest issues of the project was that of abortion for the three causeswhich was not approved despite having been the campaign flag of the Modern Revolutionary Party -dominant in Congress- prior to the 2020 elections.
However, for the president of the senate, Ricardo de los Santospeople should better read between the lines when questioning the work that is done from the Upper House.
“Yes, but what you have not realized, perhaps because sometimes we question before reading and I invite the Dominican people to always evacuate a billwhich comes out as a result of a law of the National Congress, which before criticize himit’s good to read it. Because today there are still people, mistakenly, talking about three causes. What if I told you that in a single article we put two causes? You will tell me, but how is that? Yes, he article 111 clearly establishes that when the mother’s lifethe fetus or both is in danger, it may be pregnancy intervened without any criminal consequences.
So why do I tell you that we have two there? Because we have when life in dangerboth from the mother or the fetus, but those are not both, that is one. The other one that enters is precisely when the fetus is not viable with life.
That is, if we know that there is no way she is going to live, then she is also high. And there we have two causes in a single article, it was only pending when it is for rape either incest“, said De los Santos when speaking with Free Diary.
He remembered that the Penal Code had several decades in the National Congress and was finally updated.
“(He) Penal Code had almost 30 years going around in the National Congress, we made the firm decision that the Dominican Republic I couldn’t continue with a code 1811although we we assumed in 1884but it is a code 1811. So, we decided to face that situation regardless of the political cost“.
Defend the barrel
To the senators They are criticized a lot on the issue of barrel. How do you justify the resource use for powers that are not those of legislators?, asked DL.
“That’s right, that has been a constant, continuous over time. But that social background is auditedit is not something that you handle as you understand. That has to be liquidated, that is, here until the senator makes a justified liquidationthe resources will not be replaced for next month,” he said.
He spoke of the needs that the legislators cover in their communities with this money.
“It is true that we assume powers that do not correspond to us as legislatorsbut we, as representatives, have three elementary functions, that of legislate, represent and supervise. So, as a representative of a community, I cannot live apart from the needs of that community. Now, what I’m not going with is double standards.
That I criticize it, I don’t accept it, but in one way or another what I do is sacrifice myself or turn your back on the people. There is senators and senators who have assumed responsibility, and who give the proper use because, I repeat, here they have to settle every month“.
The Congress of the Republic, in general, has a bad reputation and legislators recognize it.
The president of the Senate, Ricardo de los Santos said that they are aware that many people believe that they work little and have too many privileges. How does he respond to that?
“Look, I assure you, today is Monday and the senators, everyone knows how we are composed, that there is one senator for each province and one for the National District, I assure you that today there are several commissions working and that they work here every day,” he commented.
He also made reference to the number of hours they dedicate when there are relevant projects on the table.
“The senators sometimes even arrive here at eight or nine in the morning, at the latest, and sometimes it hits seven, eight, nine, ten at night and they are working. And, sometimes, we have to set up parallel work tables so that we can work, meet the goal that we have set for ourselves, and to be able to comply with that legal liability that we have. I tell you that, in the Procedural Code, in the Penal Code, we work entire weekends,” he added.
He also referred to last year’s constitutional reform, for which, he says, they committed themselves to the work of complete legislatures.
“The truth is that we had a day in the last legislature, that is, the entire legislative year from August 2023 to August 2024, where we began with a reform of the Constitution, which was practically by consensus, although some sectors of society understood that where the trick was,” he indicated.
And he gave credit to President Luis Abinader for not imposing a possible re-election.
“In the forty modifications that the Dominican Constitution carries, at least thirty-five of them have been with the intention of benefiting the ruler in power.”
What does the Dominican Republic need to avoid falling into situations like those we see in countries very close to ours such as Venezuela, Nicaragua and El Salvador, where presidents are eternal in their positions and elections lose their value?
“What we must continue is strengthening the political party system. For now, we have a representative democracy. Who represents us? The political parties. That has been a great advantage for us, but, in addition, the maturity of our leaders, both from the government party, from the Fuerza del Pueblo, from the PLD, from all the parties followed by the Dominican electorate,” said De los Santos.
