NewsWhore
05-15-2006, 04:10 PM
Most Congress members of are seeking re-election. This means that 114 members of the Chamber of Deputies are seeking to continue in their posts, while 14, including the president of the chamber, aspire to be part of the much smaller Senate, where only one person represents each of the 32 provinces and the National District. As analyzed by journalist Maria Isabel Soldevilla of Diario Libre, in the Senate, at least 26 of the senators also seek to be re-elected. The PLD ruling party seeks to increase its share in Congress, thus reducing the need to negotiate with opposition members to pass its bills. In the past two terms, Congress has been for the most part complacent with the Executive Branch, but news reports indicate that there is a higher lobby price to pay with the opposition in majority, as has been the case over the past two years.
In her analysis, Soldevilla explains that in 1998 and 2002 the PRD had a majority in Congress. The PLD, elected to the Presidency with a record majority vote that polls show President Fernandez still maintains, now seeks to revert the party composition of Congress and municipalities to its favor.
Interestingly, the analysis points out the indifference to the campaign in the capital city. She mentions that in 2002, there was a 60% abstention, and only 41% of those able to vote did so. Many Dominicans take advantage of the long weekend, with schools off, for vacationing at resorts around the country. In Santiago, only 47% voted in the 2002 mid-term election. This compares to 76% in the scantly populated province of Independencia, on the border with Haiti. Soldevilla explains that political parties concentrate much of their efforts in the nation's poorest provinces, where, according to her, politics become a source of jobs and social welfare industry more than marketing and political propaganda.
Overall, there are 178 chamber of deputies seats. This is broken down as follows:
National District (18), Province of Santo Domingo (36), San Pedro de Macoris (6), La Romana (4), La Altagracia (4), El Seibo (2), Samana (2), Monte Plata (4), Hato Mayor (2), Maria Trinidad Sanchez (3), Sanchez Ramirez (3), Duarte (6), Salcedo (2), Espaillat (5), Puerto Plata 6), Monsenor Nouel (3), Santiago (18), Valverde (3), Montecristi (2), Dajabon (2), Santiago Rodriguez (2), Elias Pina (2), San Juan (5), Independencia 2), Pedernales (2), Bahoruco (2) Barahona (4), Azua (4), La Vega (8), San Jose de Ocoa (2), Peravia (3), San Cristobal (11).
There are 178 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 33 Senate seats.
Diario Libre also explains that 17 of 32 senators are seeking re-election. These are Cesar Diaz Filpo (Azua), Melania Salvador (Bahoruco), Andres Bautista (Espaillat), Dagoberto Rodriguez (Independencia), Enrique Seijas (La Romana), Jesus Vasquez (Maria Trinidad Sanchez), Hernani Salazar (Duarte), Juan Roberto Rodriguez (El Seibo), Juan Morales (Hato Mayor), Bernardo Aleman (Monte Cristi), Angel Dinocrates Perez (Pedernales), Vicente Castillo (Peravia), Jose Hazim (San Pedro de Macoris), Tony del Villar (San Juan de la Maguana), Cesar Augusto Matias (Valverde), Pedro Alegria (San Jose de Ocoa) all on the Pink Alliance ticket (PRSC + PRD), and Ramiro Espino (Samana) running for the PRSD. Eight former senators are seeking to return to the Senate. These are Ginette Bournigal (Puerto Plata), Juan Rafael Peralta (Santiago Rodriguez), Milton Ray Guevara (Samana), Enrique Lopez (Monsenor Nouel), Amable Aristy Castro (La Altagracia), Cuqui Medrano (La Vega), Oscar Santiago Batista (Monsenor Nouel), and Wilton Guerrero (Peravia).
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)
In her analysis, Soldevilla explains that in 1998 and 2002 the PRD had a majority in Congress. The PLD, elected to the Presidency with a record majority vote that polls show President Fernandez still maintains, now seeks to revert the party composition of Congress and municipalities to its favor.
Interestingly, the analysis points out the indifference to the campaign in the capital city. She mentions that in 2002, there was a 60% abstention, and only 41% of those able to vote did so. Many Dominicans take advantage of the long weekend, with schools off, for vacationing at resorts around the country. In Santiago, only 47% voted in the 2002 mid-term election. This compares to 76% in the scantly populated province of Independencia, on the border with Haiti. Soldevilla explains that political parties concentrate much of their efforts in the nation's poorest provinces, where, according to her, politics become a source of jobs and social welfare industry more than marketing and political propaganda.
Overall, there are 178 chamber of deputies seats. This is broken down as follows:
National District (18), Province of Santo Domingo (36), San Pedro de Macoris (6), La Romana (4), La Altagracia (4), El Seibo (2), Samana (2), Monte Plata (4), Hato Mayor (2), Maria Trinidad Sanchez (3), Sanchez Ramirez (3), Duarte (6), Salcedo (2), Espaillat (5), Puerto Plata 6), Monsenor Nouel (3), Santiago (18), Valverde (3), Montecristi (2), Dajabon (2), Santiago Rodriguez (2), Elias Pina (2), San Juan (5), Independencia 2), Pedernales (2), Bahoruco (2) Barahona (4), Azua (4), La Vega (8), San Jose de Ocoa (2), Peravia (3), San Cristobal (11).
There are 178 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 33 Senate seats.
Diario Libre also explains that 17 of 32 senators are seeking re-election. These are Cesar Diaz Filpo (Azua), Melania Salvador (Bahoruco), Andres Bautista (Espaillat), Dagoberto Rodriguez (Independencia), Enrique Seijas (La Romana), Jesus Vasquez (Maria Trinidad Sanchez), Hernani Salazar (Duarte), Juan Roberto Rodriguez (El Seibo), Juan Morales (Hato Mayor), Bernardo Aleman (Monte Cristi), Angel Dinocrates Perez (Pedernales), Vicente Castillo (Peravia), Jose Hazim (San Pedro de Macoris), Tony del Villar (San Juan de la Maguana), Cesar Augusto Matias (Valverde), Pedro Alegria (San Jose de Ocoa) all on the Pink Alliance ticket (PRSC + PRD), and Ramiro Espino (Samana) running for the PRSD. Eight former senators are seeking to return to the Senate. These are Ginette Bournigal (Puerto Plata), Juan Rafael Peralta (Santiago Rodriguez), Milton Ray Guevara (Samana), Enrique Lopez (Monsenor Nouel), Amable Aristy Castro (La Altagracia), Cuqui Medrano (La Vega), Oscar Santiago Batista (Monsenor Nouel), and Wilton Guerrero (Peravia).
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)