Foreign envoys invited to elections, not as observers

Santo Domingo.- The Central Electoral Board (JCE) Sundaynight announced that all foreign ambassadors have been accredited as invitees tothe May 15 general elections, not as electoral observers.

"To carry out this observation process we will takeinto account the declaration of principles for the international observation ofelections, issued by the UN and the guidelines for election observation of theEuropean Union," Rosario said after a meeting at the JCE.

On the request by the civic movement Citizen Participationto allow a hand count of ballots, the official said to 15% of polling stations wouldundergo an election audit, whose votes will be counted at polling stations in theirrespective provincial offices and will allow comparing the data from scanners.

This audit will be carried out in the presence of thepress, the accredited delegates of the political parties and internationalobservers, Rosario said, adding that it accredited 2,000 members of CitizenParticipation.