2010 Dominican Republic parliamentary election

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.[1] 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.[2]

Election

The election coincided with 155 municipal elections and elections for 20 seats in the Central American Parliament.[2] The Central American Parliament representatives were being elected for the first time, having previously been appointed to their posts.[3] More than 6 million people were eligible to vote in the election.[3]

Controversy

The election was conducted amidst sporadic violence with an opposition Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) supporter being killed and three wounded in a clash between government and opposition supporters in San Cristóbal.[4] 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.[3] 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.[3] A third person had lost their life on 15 May in clashes between PLD and PRD supporters in Samaná.[3]

Election commission officials and representatives from the PRD and PLD made appeals for calm during the election.[4] President Leonel Fernández said that the violence would not affect the poll results.[4]

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.[4]

Results

 Summary of the 16 May 2010 Congress of the Dominican Republic election results

Parties	Votes	%	Deputies	Senators
Dominican Liberation Party (Partido de la Liberación Dominicana)	1,380,601	41.71	93	28
Dominican Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Dominicano)	1,272,536	38.44	73	—
Social Christian Reformist Party (Partido Reformista Social Cristiano)	203,729	6.15	11	4
Alternative Democratic Movement (Movimiento Democrático Alternativo)	46,630	1.41	1	—
Alliance for Democracy (Alianza por la Democracia)	46,250	1.40	1	—
Institutional Social Democratic Bloc (Bloque Institucional Social Demócrata)	43,665	1.32	1	—
Quisqueyano Christian Democratic Party (Partido Quisqueyano Demócrata Cristiano)	37,283	1.13	—	—
Movement for Independence, Unity and Change (Movimiento Independencia, Unidad y Cambio)	31,584	0.95	1	—
Christian Democratic Union (Unión Demócrata Cristiana)	30,267	0.91	—	—
National Progressive Force (Fuerza Nacional Progresista)	22,678	0.69	1	—
Revolutionary Social Democratic Party (Partido Revolucionario Social Demócrata)	20,838	0.63	—	—
Dominican Humanist Party (Partido Humanista Dominicano)	18,836	0.57	—	—
Dominican Workers’ Party (Partido de los Trabajadores Dominicanos)	17,673	0.53	—	—
Christian People's Party (Partido Popular Cristiano)	16,340	0.49	1	—
Dominicans for Change (Dominicanos por el Cambio)	16,045	0.48	—	—
Popular Democratic Party (Partido Demócrata Popular)	15,784	0.48	—	—
National Unity Party (Partido de Unidad Nacional)	13,925	0.42	—	—
National Civic Veterans Party (Partido Nacional de Veteranos y Civiles)	13,308	0.40	—	—
Liberal Party of the Dominican Republic (Partido Liberal de la República Dominicana)	13,229	0.40	—	—
Civic Renewal Party (Partido Cívico Renovador)	12,238	0.37	—	—
Liberal Party of Action (Partido de Acción Liberal)	11,422	0.35	—	—
Democratic Institutional Party (Partido Demócrata Institucional)	9,741	0.29	—	—
Independent Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Independiente)	8,083	0.24	—	—
Green Socialist Party (Partido Socialista Verde)	6,595	0.20	—	—
Dominican Social Alliance (Alianza Social Dominicana)	560	0.02	—	—
Green Party of Democratic Unity (Partido Verde de la Unidad Democrática)	542	0.02	—	—
Invalid/blank votes	140,986	—	—	—
Total (turnout 56.43%)	3,451,368	100.00	183	32
Source: RESULTADOS 2010 1ra. Parte

In addition to the results presented above the PLD had 91 mayors elected of the 155 positions. The PRD and Social Christian Reformist Party won 58 and the Partido Popular Cristiano and the Christian Democratic Union won one apiece.[5] 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.[6] The PRD increased its overall vote share to 42% whilst the PRSC saw its vote share slump to 2% from 24% in 2002.[6]

The leader of the opposition PRD has alleged fraud and blackmail were carried out by the ruling PLD.[5] It has been alleged that in some constituencies the number of votes cast exceeded the number of registered voters.[5] 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.[7] The PRD has established a commission to co-ordinate challenges against the results.[7]

References

1. "Dominican Republic Election Guide". IFES Election Guide.
2. Lopez, Ezequiel Abiu (17 May 2010). "Dominican legislative vote could boost president". Associated Press. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
3. "Three dead as Dominican Republic holds elections". Stabroek News. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
4. "Bloodshed mars Dominican elections". AFP. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
5. "Oposición dominicana insiste en fraude y denuncia amenazas de oficialistas". European Pressphoto Agency (in Spanish). 22 May 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
6. "Vega rails the Government's corruption; too many provinces". Dominican Today. 19 May 2010. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
7. "Opposition party unexplainably scrubs presentation of alleged irregularities in polls". Dominican Today. 20 May 2010. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010.