Dominican Republic - August 2024

President Luis Abinader has presented a bill to amend the country’s constitution, which he argues will enhance transparency and strengthen democratic institutions. One of the key objectives of the proposal is to enshrine a two-term limit for the presidency. The reform also seeks to unify the calendar for presidential, legislative, and municipal elections (currently held on different dates), and to reduce the number of representatives in the Chamber of Deputies from 190 to 137. Furthermore, the reform seeks to strengthen the independence of the Public Prosecutor's office, narrowing its focus to criminal prosecution and transferring other legal responsibilities to a newly created Justice Ministry. According to the office of the presidency, the proposal was drafted after consultations with a diverse group of stakeholders. Given the strong majority of the ruling Partido Revolucionario Moderno (PRM) in Congress, the bill has a high likelihood of passing.

Sources: Presidencia Republica Dominicana, Diario Libre, CNN