Maribel Almánzar withdraws bill on special mechanism for ID renewals
Santo Domingo.- PRM lawmaker Maribel Almánzar de Ogando withdrew a bill that proposed a special mechanism for people facing difficulties renewing their Dominican identity documents, following opposition from the leadership of her political party.
Almánzar announced the decision during a session of the Chamber of Deputies, rejecting claims that the proposal sought to facilitate the issuance of Dominican identity cards to undocumented foreigners.
She said the bill was intended to protect Dominican nationality while providing a solution for citizens who already have or previously had Dominican documents but face problems renewing them because of irregularities in their records or questions about their nationality.
“My intention was to protect Dominican nationality; that was my mistake,” Almánzar said, criticizing colleagues who questioned the initiative without first reviewing its provisions.
The proposal called for individual investigations of applicants to determine their legal status. Those who could prove Dominican nationality would receive a Dominican identity card, while foreigners would be processed according to their status.
It also proposed a special document marked “nationality not determined” for cases in which authorities could not establish an applicant’s nationality. The document would not grant voting rights.
Almánzar acknowledged that this provision generated confusion and contributed to criticism that the bill could facilitate the documentation of undocumented immigrants or promote the unification of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, claims she firmly rejected.
She also cited a recent resolution by the Central Electoral Board (JCE) addressing some of the same problems that motivated her proposal, particularly for people over 60 who face difficulties renewing their identity documents.
The lawmaker said the PRM decided to support the JCE measure and, amid the controversy surrounding her bill, she opted to withdraw it.
Almánzar thanked lawmakers who supported the initiative and citizens who backed it, while stressing that she would continue working to find solutions for Dominicans who face difficulties renewing their identity documents.
“There are still those who are having difficulty renewing their ID cards,” she said, pledging to continue listening to affected citizens and seeking answers to their cases.
