Paramilitary groups sought to destabilize elections, top official says

Santo Domingo.- Central Electoral Board (JCE) president Roberto Rosario yesterday revealed the presence of paramilitary groups in nearly all polling places on election day May 20, to usurp the legal authority and influence Dominican Republic’s election results.

Rosario cited Monte Plata and Boca Chica among the main sites where the Electoral Military Police had to counter those groups, adding that he has documents with names of individuals and with the details as to how they operated. He said in each polling place groups were formed with six former military, trained to destabilize the process.

The official said he’ll disclose the evidence on the groups’ activities once all the documentation is gathered from the polling places nationwide. "These actions are documented, and eventually we will make it public and release it all in writing."

Although Rosario didn’t cite the opposition PRD party, several reports from local media across the country did name retired members of the military who took part in those actions for the organization, including retired Air Force major generals Lidio Manzueta Muñoz and Gustavo Amable Efres, and active lieutenants.

Speaking to reporters in the JCE offices, Rosario added said that this type of action has never been seen an election in the country. "Now that’s serious, that there was an attempt to usurp the legitimate authority which is the Electoral Military Police, which is why this election was so violent in the sense of the struggle and blow for blow, that is serious, that should not happen."