Prominent deputy’s snub signals potential rift in the ruling party

Santo Domingo.- A prominent deputy of Dominican Republic’s ruling party (PLD) on Thursday became the first public figure to reject its leadership’s instruction to reelect the heads of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, signaling a potential rift in the otherwise monolithic political organization.

Minou Tavarez Mirabal said she will not vote to reelect the president of the lower Chamber, Abel Martinez and of the Senate, Reinaldo Pared, despite their being ratified by the Political Committee, the PLD’s top echelon.

"The important thing isn’t circumstantial, this new win should be about the Political Parties and Electoral laws designed to bolster democracy and restore public confidence towards the political party system," the lawmaker said.

In a statement, Tavarez said she hopes the PLD’s upcoming Congress will discuss passing laws to foster an electoral system that can reflect the citizens’ will.

"We can’t afford to sidestep discussing the Law on Political Parties and the Electoral Act when we’re weakened institutionally," she said, noting that the Political Committee’s instructions to reelect its leaders in Congress reflect that weakness.