Dominican Republic parliamentary election, 2010
Encyclopedia
A parliamentary election was held in the Dominican Republic
on 16 May 2010 to elect members to the 32 seats in the Senate
and 183 seats in the Chamber of Deputies
. Polls forecasted a victory for the Dominican Liberation Party
(PLD) of President Leonel Fernández
. Before the election, 96 of the 178 Chamber of Deputies seats and 22 of the 32 Senate seats were controlled by the PLD.
. The Central American Parliament representatives were being elected for the first time, having previously been appointed to their posts. More than people were eligible to vote in the election.
(PRD) supporter being killed and three wounded in a clash between government and opposition supporters in San Cristóbal
. The dead man was identified as the bodyguard of a PRD mayoral candidate, who was said to have been shot four times with a submachine gun
and died in hospital. One of the injured men was the driver for the present mayor. In addition a PLD leader died on 16 May after being surprised whilst purchasing identity documents. A third person had lost their life on 15 May in clashes between PLD and PRD supporters in Samana
.
Election commission officials and representatives from the PRD and PLD made appeals for calm during the election. President Leonel Fernández
said that the violence would not affect the poll results.
An election monitoring mission from the Organization of American States
said that it had received complaints of fake or purchased identity documents being used to vote. Nonetheless, it ratified the election as mostly free and fair.
won 58 and the Partido Popular Cristiano and the Christian Democratic Union won one apiece. The PRD blamed the 32 single-seat senate constituencies for their poor showing. The single seats led to a lack of proportionality with them failing to take any despite winning 42% of the vote. The PRD increased its overall vote share to 42% whilst the PRSC saw its vote share slump to 2% from 24% in 2002.
The leader of the opposition PRD has alleged fraud and blackmail were carried out by the ruling PLD. It has been alleged that in some constituencies the number of votes cast exceeded the number of registered voters. A press conference in which the PRD were to have presented evidence of fraud was cancelled with no explanation, while leaders of the PRD have called its current party president to step down. The PRD has established a commission to co-ordinate challenges against the results.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
on 16 May 2010 to elect members to the 32 seats in the Senate
Senate of the Dominican Republic
The Senate is the upper house of the Dominican Republic's bicameral National Congress. The lower house is the Chamber of Deputies....
and 183 seats in the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of theDominican Republic's bicameral National Congress. The upper house is the Senate.It currently comprises 183 deputies who are elected for four-year terms...
. Polls forecasted a victory for the Dominican Liberation Party
Dominican Liberation Party
The Dominican Liberation Party is one of the main political parties of the Dominican Republic, and has a centrist position.The party has been elected into office thrice now with Leonel Fernández as President of the Dominican Republic in the 1996, 2004 and 2008 elections, though losing in 2000...
(PLD) of President Leonel Fernández
Leonel Fernández
Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna is a Dominican lawyer, academic, and the current President of the Dominican Republic since 2004. He held the same office from 1996 to 2000...
. Before the election, 96 of the 178 Chamber of Deputies seats and 22 of the 32 Senate seats were controlled by the PLD.
Election
The election coincided with 155 municipal elections and elections for 20 seats in the Central American ParliamentCentral American Parliament
The Central American Parliament , also known as PARLACEN is a political institution devoted to the integration of the Central American countries. Its headquarters are in Guatemala City....
. The Central American Parliament representatives were being elected for the first time, having previously been appointed to their posts. More than people were eligible to vote in the election.
Controversy
The election was conducted amidst sporadic violence with an opposition Dominican Revolutionary PartyDominican Revolutionary Party
The Dominican Revolutionary Party is one of the main political parties of the Dominican Republic. It has a moderate centrist position, social democratic in name. The party's distinctive color is white....
(PRD) supporter being killed and three wounded in a clash between government and opposition supporters in San Cristóbal
San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
San Cristóbal is a municipality and the capital of the San Cristóbal province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : Hato Damas.-Sectors:*5 de abril*Canastica*El Pomier...
. The dead man was identified as the bodyguard of a PRD mayoral candidate, who was said to have been shot four times with a submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
and died in hospital. One of the injured men was the driver for the present mayor. In addition a PLD leader died on 16 May after being surprised whilst purchasing identity documents. A third person had lost their life on 15 May in clashes between PLD and PRD supporters in Samana
Samana
-Dominican Republic:*Samaná Province*Samaná, Dominican Republic, or Santa Bárbara de Samaná, the capital of Samaná Province*Samaná Peninsula*Cape Samana on Samaná Peninsula*Samaná Bay, a body of water in the Atlantic next to the Samaná Peninsula...
.
Election commission officials and representatives from the PRD and PLD made appeals for calm during the election. President Leonel Fernández
Leonel Fernández
Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna is a Dominican lawyer, academic, and the current President of the Dominican Republic since 2004. He held the same office from 1996 to 2000...
said that the violence would not affect the poll results.
An election monitoring mission from the Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
said that it had received complaints of fake or purchased identity documents being used to vote. Nonetheless, it ratified the election as mostly free and fair.
Results
In addition to the results presented above the PLD had 91 mayors elected of the 155 positions. The PRD and Social Christian Reformist PartySocial Christian Reformist Party
The Social Christian Reformist Party is a conservative, christian democratic, economic liberal and a populist party in the Dominican Republic formed by the union of the Partido Reformista and the Partido Revolucionario Social Cristiano...
won 58 and the Partido Popular Cristiano and the Christian Democratic Union won one apiece. The PRD blamed the 32 single-seat senate constituencies for their poor showing. The single seats led to a lack of proportionality with them failing to take any despite winning 42% of the vote. The PRD increased its overall vote share to 42% whilst the PRSC saw its vote share slump to 2% from 24% in 2002.
The leader of the opposition PRD has alleged fraud and blackmail were carried out by the ruling PLD. It has been alleged that in some constituencies the number of votes cast exceeded the number of registered voters. A press conference in which the PRD were to have presented evidence of fraud was cancelled with no explanation, while leaders of the PRD have called its current party president to step down. The PRD has established a commission to co-ordinate challenges against the results.