NewsWhore
05-04-2010, 05:10 PM
Writing in Hoy newspaper, political analyst Juan Bolivar Diaz says that 27 of 32 senators are seeking re-election in the 16 May congressional and municipal election. He says that an unprecedented number of legislators are seeking to continue in office, and he explains why. Diaz says that in the past, the legislators needed to win the candidacy in primaries to run for re-election. However, this time round two-thirds of the nominations were obtained thanks to their links with the high ranks of the parties.
The top echelons of the two leading parties, the PLD and the PRD, reserved 50% of the candidacies for alliances and other political negotiations. Diaz says that this resulted in two great blocks, one of 14 and another of 8 parties, with only three going into the elections as independents. The third party in the system, the PRSC handpicked all of its candidacies.
Juan Bolivar Diaz says that two of the candidates are running for reelection for different parties; Noe Sterling Vasquez for Barahona who switched from the PRSC to the PRD, and Alejandro Williams Cordero, dropped by the PLD but rescued by the PRD. Williams Cordero was senator for San Pedro de Macoris but was notorious for hardly ever attending a session because he was busy working as a dentist in New York City.
In addition to their basic monthly wages of RD$175,000, the senators receive $50,000 expense account, RD$25,000 in per diems, RD$25,000 for lodging, RD$28,000 for per diems during sessions, RD$289,000 for their office expenses (a minimum of 24 employees), RD$142,500 for their provincial office expenses (with a minimum of 11 employees), and RD$598,000 average social assistance ("barrilito") fund, for about RD$1,345,250 a month. Add to this three unlimited tax exonerations on any vehicle.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)
The top echelons of the two leading parties, the PLD and the PRD, reserved 50% of the candidacies for alliances and other political negotiations. Diaz says that this resulted in two great blocks, one of 14 and another of 8 parties, with only three going into the elections as independents. The third party in the system, the PRSC handpicked all of its candidacies.
Juan Bolivar Diaz says that two of the candidates are running for reelection for different parties; Noe Sterling Vasquez for Barahona who switched from the PRSC to the PRD, and Alejandro Williams Cordero, dropped by the PLD but rescued by the PRD. Williams Cordero was senator for San Pedro de Macoris but was notorious for hardly ever attending a session because he was busy working as a dentist in New York City.
In addition to their basic monthly wages of RD$175,000, the senators receive $50,000 expense account, RD$25,000 in per diems, RD$25,000 for lodging, RD$28,000 for per diems during sessions, RD$289,000 for their office expenses (a minimum of 24 employees), RD$142,500 for their provincial office expenses (with a minimum of 11 employees), and RD$598,000 average social assistance ("barrilito") fund, for about RD$1,345,250 a month. Add to this three unlimited tax exonerations on any vehicle.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)