MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

OAS observers to the Dominican Republic general elections on 15 May

The Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) to the general elections of May 15 will be headed by the former President of Colombia, Andrés Pastrana.

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Government of the Dominican Republic signed formal agreements by which the hemispheric institution will send an Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) to the general elections of May 15, which will be headed by the former President of Colombia, Andrés Pastrana.

 OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro noted it will be the 16th time that the OAS has sent an electoral observation mission to the Dominican Republic.

“This electoral process is unique because it covers three elections in only one day, by transitory provision of the 2010 Constitution,” he added, referring to the fact that during the elections voters will choose the President and Vice President of the Republic, 32 senators, 190 parliamentarians, 20 representatives to the Central American Parliament, 158 mayors and deputy mayors, as well as 1,164 council members.

On behalf of the Dominican Republic, the Permanent Representative to the OAS, Pedro Vergés, and the President of the Central Electoral Council of the Dominican Republic, Roberto Rosario, signed the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of Observers, as well as the Agreement on observation procedures, which provides the EOM’s members full access to the electoral bodies and to the necessary information for the performance of their duties.