North & Central America and Caribbean

Dominican Republic
Last reviewed: 12 August 2009

Country information

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POLITICS

The Dominican Republic is a representative democracy whose national powers are divided among independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The President appoints the cabinet, executes laws passed by the legislative branch, and is commander in chief of the armed forces. The President and Vice-President run for office on the same ticket and are elected by direct vote for 4-year terms.

Legislative power is exercised by a bicameral congress - the senate (32 members) and the chamber of deputies (120 members). Under the constitutional reforms negotiated after the 1994 elections, the 16-member Supreme Court of Justice is appointed by a National Judicial Council, which is nominated by the 3 major political parties. The Court has sole jurisdiction over actions against the President, designated members of his cabinet, and members of Congress.

The Supreme Court hears appeals from lower courts and chooses members of lower courts. A Presidentially appointed governor heads each of the 31 provinces. Elected mayors and municipal councils administer the National District (Santo Domingo) and the 103 municipal districts.

Following an intense period of political activity and a 1994 election pronounced flawed by the international community, the competing political parties signed a Pact for Democracy on 10 August 1994, reducing President Balaguer's term of office from 4 to 2 years, setting early elections, and reforming the constitution. A new Central Electoral Board was named to work on electoral reform. The main candidates in 1996 were Vice-President Jacinto Peynado (PRSC), Jose Francisco Pena Gomez (PRD), and Leonel Fernandez (PLD).

Ultimately, domestic and international observers saw the 1996 election as transparent and fair. After the first round in which Jacinto Peynado (PRSC) was eliminated, President Balaguer endorsed the PLD candidate Leonel Fernandez.

Fernandez won the second round with 51% of the vote, the result was deemed a fair one and the transition from incumbent administration to incoming administration was smooth and ushered in a new, modern era in Dominican political life.

The Fernandez government placed a greater emphasis on trade liberalisation and the need to attract foreign investment. Their priorities also included education, health and social services, sectors badly under-funded in earlier years. To fund this ambitious programme, Fernandez became committed to a programme of privatisation, though he faced considerable opposition from a reluctant Congress, where his party was in the minority. Under the terms of the cross party agreement following the flawed 1994 elections, Fernandez was not allowed under the Constitution to stand again. On 16 May 2000, the Vice-President of the opposition Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (PRD) Hipolito Mejía, was elected President in another free and fair election. He defeated Dominican Liberation Party candidate Danilo Medina 49.8% to 24.84%. Former president Balaguer garnered 24.68% of the vote. Although Mejía officially needed 50% plus one vote to gain outright victory opponents conceded, influenced by Balaguer, as the margin was so narrow.

A combination of external (11 September 2001, rising oil prices) and internal (mainly rising internal and external indebtedness born of slack control of public finances) factors affecting the DR economy from 2000-2004 resulted in inflation and interest rates rising, the peso weakening drastically against the US Dollar, and the first negative GDP growth figure for over a decade by the end of the Mejía government in May 2004.

Against this background, Leonel Fernandez won the May 2004 election with 57% of the popular vote, against Mejía's 33%. With this outright victory in the first round, Fernandez used the three-month period before taking up office on 16 August 2004 to travel abroad with a view to re establishing international investor confidence in a market whose international credit rating had plummeted during the Mejía government. Fernandez included a 3-day visit to the UK in his itinerary, where he talked to a gathering of British business representatives at the CBI.

In his 2004 acceptance speech, Fernandez sent a strong message to the international community that he intended to tackle the country's debt problems and fight against corruption in the Dominican public and private sectors, and get the country back on track with the IMF. He has proven true to his word and under his administration GDP growth has rebounded sharply (9.3% year on year growth in 2005), interest rates and inflation have fallen considerably; and the country has been commended for its progress by the IMF.

Fernandez won a second term as the incumbent with 53.8% of the votes in the May 2008 Presidential elections.

Government

Administrative Divisions: 31 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and onr district (distrito); Azua, Baoruco, Barahona, Dajabon, Distrito Nacional*, Duarte, Elias Pina, El Seibo, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Monsenor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Salcedo, Samana, Sanchez Ramirez, San Cristobal, San Jose de Ocoa, San Juan, San Pedro de Macoris, Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez, Santo Domingo, Valverde.
Independence: 27 February, 1844 (the UK was the first country officially to recognise the DR's independence)
Constitution: 28 November 1966
Branches: Executive - President (Chief of State and Head of Government), Vice President, Cabinet Legislative - Bicameral Congress (Senate and Chamber of Deputies) Judicial - Supreme Court of Justice.

Elections

Presidential elections are held in years evenly divisible by four, the latest in 2008. Congressional and municipal elections - the most recent took place in May 2006 - are held in even numbered years not divisible by 4. Suffrage: 18 years of age and compulsory (members of the armed forces and police cannot vote).