The two leading political parties, the PRD and PLD, will get a considerable chunk of national budget money - RD$420.8 million - for 2009. This accounts for 80% of all funds that the law allocates to political parties. According to Electoral Law 275-97, in a non-electoral year political funds will not exceed 4% of the budget. The law stipulates that parties that received more than 5% of the vote will divide 80% of all funds equally. The remaining two political entities will split the remaining RD$106 million. Of the remaining 20% of the funds, 12% (RD$12.6 million) will be distributed among the parties that received less than 5% of the vote and the remaining 8% (RD$4.6 million) will be distributed equally in proportion to the votes obtained in the previous presidential elections. This announcement confirms the long developing trend that the once powerful PRSC is no longer a political powerhouse.

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