The National Assembly of the Dominican Republic approves reforms to the Constitution proposed by Abinader

( Spanish) – The president and vice president of the National Assembly of the Dominican Republic, Ricardo de los Santos and Alfredo Pacheco, signed this Friday the document with the new reforms to the country’s Constitution promoted by President Luis Abinader, which includes the prohibition for a third presidential term, the reduction of the number of deputies and the unification of the elections.

Abinader proposed some of these modifications at the beginning of his second term as head of the Executive on August 16, and sent the constitutional reform to Congress. In that speech, he promised to govern “for everyone” and stated that it was not a short-term reform for political reasons but rather a change to benefit the institutions. With this approval, Abinader will not be able to seek the presidency again.

The document has already been approved in second reading by the National Assembly. With this and after the signing this Friday, for the new reforms to the Constitution to be finalized, all that is needed is for the National Assembly to meet to proclaim the new Magna Carta.

Among the points that were approved is preventing elected presidents from having a third term and unifying the elections, so that starting in 2023 an electoral contest will be held every four years to elect president and vice president of the Republic, legislators, municipal authorities and other officials and elected representatives.
It was also approved that, starting in the next administrative period, in 2028, enrollment be reduced to 170 deputies out of a total of 190 that currently make up the Lower House.

When will the reforms be proclaimed?

In statements to the media, the president of the National Assembly and the Senate, Ricardo de los Santos, said this Friday that there is still no date to proclaim the constitutional modifications.

“We are still in the process of signing all the legislators (…) When everything is signed and we can have it printed for all the legislators and the entire society that requires it, then we will set the proclamation date there,” he explained.
Alfredo Pacheco, vice president of the National Assembly and president of the Chamber of Deputies, considered that these reforms “help strengthen Dominican democracy.”