Dominican Republic - October 2024

On 27 October, President Abinader promulgated a set of constitutional amendments promoted by his government. The approved amendments transfer the responsibility for appointing the Attorney General and Deputy Attorneys General from the president to the National Council of the Judiciary. This change intends to guarantee the independence of the Attorney General’s office. The amendments also introduce presidential term limits (capped at two terms) to the list of unamendable constitutional provisions, which seek to guarantee the alternation of power. They also prevent elected officials from benefiting from constitutional changes made during their term in office. Additionally, they reduce the number of seats in the lower chamber from 190 to 170 and determine that presidential, legislative and municipal elections will be held on the same day. Civil society organizations have criticized the government for not conducting public consultations to inform the constitutional amendments.

Sources: CNN, Dominican Today, Diario Libre (1), Presidencia Republica Dominicana, International IDEA, Diario Libre (2)