DR: Propaganda for Electoral Purposes Requested to Be Stopped

February 7, 2024 Hour: 4:28 pm

On Tuesday, the non-partisan civic movement Participación Ciudadana requested Dominican President and presidential candidate, Luis Abinader, to suspend government propaganda for electoral purposes.

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Participación Ciudadana explained that this practice violates Decree 1-24, as well as Law 33-18 of Political Parties and Law No. 20-23 of the Electoral Regime.

“Participación Ciudadana appeals to the will of President Abinader, who has pledged not to use public resources for electoral purposes,” the group said in a statement.

It also called for the intervention of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), based on the power granted to it by Law 33-18, to “take any precautionary measure with respect to any property or to immediately stop the improper use of the resources and means of the State, being able to procure for this purpose the public force.”

#DOMREPUBLIC: The non-partisan civic movement Participacion Ciudadana today asked the president and presidential candidate, Luis Abinader, to suspend government propaganda for electoral purposes. pic.twitter.com/l4s3j9AA2W

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February 6, 2024

He assured that the country cannot accept arguments in favor of maintaining government propaganda aimed at thanking for fulfilling official functions, and which are aimed at obtaining votes.

Law No. 33-18, of Political Parties, “prohibits the use of public resources of the powers and institutions of the State, including city councils, to finance or support in any way activities of particular electoral profitability, including those derived from official inaugurations.”

Decree 1-24 issued by the President to regulate government advertising prohibits “including the voice, image or any other personal form that individualizes or distinguishes public officials.”

It also makes it impossible “to use publicity which has as its object or effect the achievements of management or the objectives reached, except in the framework of the period of accountability before the National Congress.”

Participación Ciudadana argued that under the denomination of the program “Chequéame tú”, the Government is paying for pages and covers of newspapers with a series of information of “governmental achievements” which are nothing else than electoral propaganda, reported Listín Diario.

Another example of these violations is the full page advertisement in some newspapers of the growth of exports and of the free zones, said the organization quoted by the newspaper.