Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SANTODOMINGO1635
2006-05-18 00:24:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Santo Domingo
Cable title:
DOMINICAN ELECTIONS #12: RULING PLD GAINS IN
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHDG #1635/01 1380024 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 180024Z MAY 06 FM AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4767 INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PRIORITY 1919 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0622 RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN PRIORITY 0864 RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON PRIORITY 2588 RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO PRIORITY 1006 RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE PRIORITY 4246 RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN PRIORITY 1676 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY 1525 RUCOWCV/CUSTOMS CARIBBEAN ATTACHE MIAMI FL PRIORITY RUEAHLC/HQS DHS WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 0113 RUMISTA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001635
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, WHA/EPSC, INR/IAA; NSC FOR FISK AND
FEARS; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD; USDOC FOR
4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION; USDOC FOR
3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: DR PGOV
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ELECTIONS #12: RULING PLD GAINS IN
CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS
UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001635
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, WHA/EPSC, INR/IAA; NSC FOR FISK AND
FEARS; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD; USDOC FOR
4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION; USDOC FOR
3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: DR PGOV
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ELECTIONS #12: RULING PLD GAINS IN
CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS
1. (SBU) This is the 12th cable in a series reporting on the
Dominican Republic's May 16 congressional and municipal
elections:
Ruling PLD Gains in Congressional Elections
Dominican voters went to the polls May 16 to elect 32
senators, 178 representatives, 151 mayors and vice mayors,
and 963 city council members and their substitutes. Only 12
years after the last fraudulent election, the Dominican
Republic is still a fragile democracy -- but the voters'
positive demeanor and enthusiastic participation was an
important step in fortifying democracy here. Roughly 50% of
the 5.4 million registered voters turned out. The election
was well organized, relatively smooth, and showed that the
electoral process is becoming more reliable. Despite the
public's disenchantment with a perceived failure of politics
to deliver good governance, the turnout -- typical of past
mid-term elections -- shows the Dominican people's continuing
faith in electoral democracy.
The election police chief, in comments to Embassy the
afternoon of May 17, characterized the situation throughout
the country as "calm and under control." There had been one
violent confrontation between groups of party activists near
the capital, which left two persons dead and one injured. A
civic group reported another person killed in a separate
incident, also in the Santo Domingo area. The chief said
tension was continuing in some communities where the vote had
been close and party militants were striving for advantage in
the count.
The ruling PLD did very well in the congressional elections.
Partial returns released May 17 show the PLD and its allies
winning in 16 of the 32 provinces and leading narrowly in 5
others. The PLD won the symbolically important mayoral and
senatorial races in the capital and the senate seat from the
northern regional center, Santiago. An unprecedented
alliance between the main opposition PRD and PRSC apparently
failed to sustain the opposition's control of Congress. A
senior PRSC legislator, who was re-elected, told political
officer, "The alliance lost."
The slowness of the Central Elections Board (JCE) in
releasing returns has been due to the complexity of these
elections and the cumbersome but effective safeguards built
into the system of paper balloting and manual tabulation and
verification of returns before they are entered into the JCE
computer system. Official election results for the lower
house of Congress or municipal offices are not yet available.
The most accurate available election figures are from the
main cities, based on a quick count by USAID-supported NGO
Participacin Ciudadana.
In the National District (Santo Domingo),based on 99% of the
quick count sample:
Congressional: PLD and allies, 56.5 %; PRD/PRSC and allies,
39.0 %
Municipal: PLD and allies, 57.8 %, PRD/PRSC and allies, 40.0
%
In Santiago, based on 91% of the quick count sample:
Congressional: PLD and allies, 53.1%; PRD/PRSC and allies,
44.8%
Municipal: PLD and allies, 39.0%; PRD/PRC and allies, 57.2%
(a popular PRSC mayor won reelection to a third term)
A clear PLD victory, once returns are complete, will be
viewed as a good indication of current President Fenndez's
chances to win a new term as president in 2008. He has been
an effective, moderate president who has stood up to
Venezuelan President Chvez.
The biggest change will occur in the Senate: PLD members will
shoot up from 1 of 32 now to a large plurality or a majority.
Results for the lower house, where voters could express a
preference for individual candidates on a party list, are
less clear, but the PLD will pick up strength. Overall, this
outcome is likely to give President Fernndez more leverage
in getting bills through Congress, with less delay on
measures of interest to the United States.
We expect Dominican Attorney General Francisco Dominguez
Brito, a close contact of the Embassy, to be elected senator
representing Santiago. He has been an outstanding attorney
general, promoting rule of law and serious enforcement. He
would be a strong voice for a modernizing and effective
Dominican Senate. We do not yet know who would replace him
as attorney general.
2. (U) Drafted by Bainbridge Cowell.
3. (U) This piece and others in our series can be consulted
at our SIPRNET web site
(http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo) along with
extensive other material.
HERTELL
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, WHA/EPSC, INR/IAA; NSC FOR FISK AND
FEARS; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD; USDOC FOR
4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION; USDOC FOR
3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: DR PGOV
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ELECTIONS #12: RULING PLD GAINS IN
CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS
1. (SBU) This is the 12th cable in a series reporting on the
Dominican Republic's May 16 congressional and municipal
elections:
Ruling PLD Gains in Congressional Elections
Dominican voters went to the polls May 16 to elect 32
senators, 178 representatives, 151 mayors and vice mayors,
and 963 city council members and their substitutes. Only 12
years after the last fraudulent election, the Dominican
Republic is still a fragile democracy -- but the voters'
positive demeanor and enthusiastic participation was an
important step in fortifying democracy here. Roughly 50% of
the 5.4 million registered voters turned out. The election
was well organized, relatively smooth, and showed that the
electoral process is becoming more reliable. Despite the
public's disenchantment with a perceived failure of politics
to deliver good governance, the turnout -- typical of past
mid-term elections -- shows the Dominican people's continuing
faith in electoral democracy.
The election police chief, in comments to Embassy the
afternoon of May 17, characterized the situation throughout
the country as "calm and under control." There had been one
violent confrontation between groups of party activists near
the capital, which left two persons dead and one injured. A
civic group reported another person killed in a separate
incident, also in the Santo Domingo area. The chief said
tension was continuing in some communities where the vote had
been close and party militants were striving for advantage in
the count.
The ruling PLD did very well in the congressional elections.
Partial returns released May 17 show the PLD and its allies
winning in 16 of the 32 provinces and leading narrowly in 5
others. The PLD won the symbolically important mayoral and
senatorial races in the capital and the senate seat from the
northern regional center, Santiago. An unprecedented
alliance between the main opposition PRD and PRSC apparently
failed to sustain the opposition's control of Congress. A
senior PRSC legislator, who was re-elected, told political
officer, "The alliance lost."
The slowness of the Central Elections Board (JCE) in
releasing returns has been due to the complexity of these
elections and the cumbersome but effective safeguards built
into the system of paper balloting and manual tabulation and
verification of returns before they are entered into the JCE
computer system. Official election results for the lower
house of Congress or municipal offices are not yet available.
The most accurate available election figures are from the
main cities, based on a quick count by USAID-supported NGO
Participacin Ciudadana.
In the National District (Santo Domingo),based on 99% of the
quick count sample:
Congressional: PLD and allies, 56.5 %; PRD/PRSC and allies,
39.0 %
Municipal: PLD and allies, 57.8 %, PRD/PRSC and allies, 40.0
%
In Santiago, based on 91% of the quick count sample:
Congressional: PLD and allies, 53.1%; PRD/PRSC and allies,
44.8%
Municipal: PLD and allies, 39.0%; PRD/PRC and allies, 57.2%
(a popular PRSC mayor won reelection to a third term)
A clear PLD victory, once returns are complete, will be
viewed as a good indication of current President Fenndez's
chances to win a new term as president in 2008. He has been
an effective, moderate president who has stood up to
Venezuelan President Chvez.
The biggest change will occur in the Senate: PLD members will
shoot up from 1 of 32 now to a large plurality or a majority.
Results for the lower house, where voters could express a
preference for individual candidates on a party list, are
less clear, but the PLD will pick up strength. Overall, this
outcome is likely to give President Fernndez more leverage
in getting bills through Congress, with less delay on
measures of interest to the United States.
We expect Dominican Attorney General Francisco Dominguez
Brito, a close contact of the Embassy, to be elected senator
representing Santiago. He has been an outstanding attorney
general, promoting rule of law and serious enforcement. He
would be a strong voice for a modernizing and effective
Dominican Senate. We do not yet know who would replace him
as attorney general.
2. (U) Drafted by Bainbridge Cowell.
3. (U) This piece and others in our series can be consulted
at our SIPRNET web site
(http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo) along with
extensive other material.
HERTELL