CIVICUS discusses recent Dominican Republic elections with Manuel María Mercedes Medina, a lawyer, human rights defender and president of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH-RD).
CNDH-RD is a civil society organisation that strives for a Dominican Republic in which all people live under a social and democratic rule of law, without discrimination on the basis of creed, ethnicity, nationality, political opinions, religion, sexual orientation or social status.
President Luis Abinader was comfortably re-elected on 19 May. His victory can be attributed to economic growth experienced during his administration, the use of state resources to win the loyalty of voters through cash transfers and the distribution of essentials and the fragmentation of an opposition discredited by its links to previous administrations tainted by corruption. All candidates exploited migration as a political issue, with Abinader promising to build a border wall to stop migrants coming from neighbouring Haiti.
Why did the ruling party win the recent election?
The victory of the ruling party is surprising in the regional context. In recent years, all but two of the ruling parties in Latin America have lost elections. With Abinader’s victory, now there are three.
There are several explanations. First, Abinader faced a weak opposition that failed to connect with public demands during his first four-year term. It offered criticisms but didn’t propose tangible solutions. That is why their campaign proposals didn’t resonate.
The opposition was also divided. The Central Electoral Board granted legal personality to 37 parties and four movements. Abinader managed to get 22 parties to support his re-election bid, but the opposition remained fragmented. Had they come together, the result might have been different.
Further, some opposition candidates who had a chance had already been in government and had performed poorly. For example, former president Leonel Fernández, of the People’s Force (FP) party, was in second place, and was rejected for having been implicated in corruption cases. In 2019, former president Fernández left the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and founded a new one, facilitating the triumph of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) that brought Abinader to the presidency.
The most important factor accounting for the results of the election was the use of state resources to implement social programmes for vulnerable groups, including cash transfers, which brought widespread support for Abinader. The government also sought to introduce universal access to social security. It enrolled over two million people in health insurance and distributed food on a huge scale.
Finally, both the opposition and the ruling party resorted to buying the votes of vulnerable citizens. According to data from various organisations, the PRM did this the most, followed by the FP and, to a lesser extent, the PLD. This was reflected in the results of the presidential election, with the PRM winning 57 per cent of the vote, the FP 29 per cent and the PLD 10 per cent.
What were the main campaign issues?
Corruption was one of the main issues. Dominican society was fed up with corruption scandals involving officials of the PLD-led governments that preceded Abinader. Two of the leading candidates, Leonel Fernández and Danilo Medina, were former PLD party presidents. Corruption reached its highest levels during these administrations, so the debate turned to who was the least corrupt.
The Abinader government presented itself as tough on corruption. Whereas in the past impunity was the norm, now many officials who misused state resources have been prosecuted.
Another important issue was the need to reform the constitution to protect it from manipulation attempts by presidents eager to serve more than two terms. There was also discussion about the need to change the selection process for the attorney general, who is currently appointed by the president. To make this position truly independent, the creation of a collective body was proposed.
Amendments to the Penal Code, which criminalises abortion without exception, were also discussed. Progressive groups and human rights defenders support the inclusion of abortion rights on three grounds: incest, rape and danger to life of a pregnant person. Currently, women who seek abortions and doctors who perform them can be punished with up to 20 years in prison. The Catholic and Protestant churches oppose reform, and Abinader has skilfully managed to stay away from this controversial issue.
Finally, as expected, Haitian migration was also a topic of discussion. Given the ongoing political and social crisis in Haiti, the Dominican Republic is receiving large numbers of migrants. Faced with this situation, Abinader has hardened his stance over the last two years, seeking the support of anti-Haitian voices with great influence in the media, politics and society. Through deportations, border closures and proposals such as the construction of a border wall between the two countries, Abinader appropriated opposition discourse, which had promised tougher migration policies.
What are the main views on migration in the Dominican Republic?
Migration divides Dominican society. There are those of us who defend more progressive and democratic ideals, who favour solidarity and mutual aid with Haitian people. But the majority openly defend nationalist and anti-Haitian policies.
These voices have a strong media presence, where they promote discriminatory policies against Haitians and their children born on Dominican soil. Since a constitutional change in 2010, people born in the country with Haitian parents are no longer considered Dominicans. The change was applied retroactively and a Constitutional Court ruling stripped thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent of their nationality. This has exacerbated tensions between the two countries.
What will be Abinader’s main challenges in his second term?
One major challenge is to reverse the collapse of the prison system. In less than five months, over 30 prisoners have died and their families haven’t received any answers yet. The state was responsible for ensuring their safety and failed to do so.
Improvements in people’s security are also needed. The government has announced improvements, but its figures are questionable as it isn’t clear how they were obtained.
Another challenge will be to agree on a constitutional reform so the attorney general is independently selected.
Abinader will also have to deal with trade union demands for wage increases to cope with the rising cost of living and guarantee union freedom, a right protected by the constitution but not enforced in practice. He will have to address a severe housing crisis that affects some two million Dominicans.
Finally, there is the challenge of taxation reform. We believe reform is necessary, but it should focus on those who have the most – particularly the financial sector, which despite getting extraordinary profits is the one paying the least. In the Dominican Republic, the tax burden falls heavily on poor and middle-class people, as taxes on basic necessities predominate.
What do you expect from the new government?
I expect Abinader to keep his promise to not try to reform the constitution to seek a third term, now he has a level of support that would allow him to do so. Abinader has also proposed that the constitution be reformed so no president can ever change the article that prohibits indefinite re-election. However, there are some who favour his continuity in power. We believe Abinader will keep his word, and if he does not, people will punish him by refusing to vote for him again.
In terms of human rights, the fact the president cannot run again could become a small light at the end of the tunnel. We hope expulsions and mistreatment of migrants will stop and relations with Haiti will improve.
We also expect constitutional rights to the environment, health, housing and work to be implemented effectively. We demand an end to extrajudicial executions by the police and the resumption of the fight against corruption and impunity.
Civic space in the Dominican Republic is rated ‘narrowed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor.
Get in touch with CNDH-RD through its website or its Facebook, //www.youtube.com/@CNDH-RD">YouTube or Instagram pages, and follow @CNDHrd on Twitter.
