At Work Around the World

Dominican Republic

The Carter Center has observed several presidential elections in the Dominican Republic.

Building Hope

An election is the closest measure of the will of the people. If citizens feel intimidated into voting for a candidate or a candidate employs illegal methods, a state may end up with a leader who is not only unrepresentative of the nation but also undermines the very democratic ideals a state strives to achieve. For this reason, The Carter Center has worked for more than two decades to assist countries, such as the Dominican Republic, to hold freer and fairer elections, ensuring that human rights are protected and that citizens may shape their governments through their votes.

Waging Peace

Monitoring Elections

The Carter Center, in conjunction with the National Democratic Institute, has monitored numerous elections in the Dominican Republic. The Americas Program's Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Americas observed the election of President Joaquin Balaguer in 1990, a presidential election runoff in 1996, and a free and much-improved election in May 2000.

A joint NDI/Carter Center delegation praised the May 2000 elections after Dominicans went to the polls in numbers rarely matched by other nations in the Western Hemisphere. The observers said the administration of the elections was enhanced by a new, modernized registry and by verification of the registry prior to the election. The delegation noted that partisan selection of the supreme election authorities by the Senate led to citizen allegations of partisanship throughout the process. In addition, on election day, the delegation observed that some voters were unable to vote, abandoned their effort to vote, or could not travel to newly assigned polling sites and that others left without voting due to a long voting process in cramped sites.

The 1996 presidential election was seen as an important step in the consolidation of democracy after the Pact for Democracy, signed in 1994 by President Balaguer and opposition parties, called for a new voting procedure, a new presidential election in two years, and a runoff election should no candidate win a majority. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former Colombia President Belasario Betancur led a pre-election mission to the country in April 1996 and returned for a runoff June 30 in which Leonel Fernandez won.

Although The Carter Center did not observe the 1994 elections, an NDI delegation noted that irregularities in the electoral process could have affected the outcome. Following the election, the pact was signed.

The 1990 observer mission heard many questioning the election and the vote count, although the delegation did not receive adequate evidence of irregularities that would have affected the outcome, which was a narrow victory for President Joaquin Balaguer.

Urging a Moratorium on Arms Sales

Although Latin America spends relatively less on defense than most other regions, expenditures on expensive weapons systems divert scarce foreign exchange from more effective investments, including education. They also compel neighbors to spend more on defense and, by doing so, generate international tensions. Concerned about an arms race in Latin America, the Carter Center's Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Americas urged governments in the region to pause before embarking on major arms purchases. Between April 1997 and March 1998, 28 current heads of government and 14 former heads of government signed a written pledge to accept a moratorium of two years on purchasing sophisticated weapons. Among the signatories was Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernández.

Election Reports

Final Report: Observing the 1996 Dominican Republic Elections (PDF), released May 1, 1997
At the invitation of the Central Electoral Board of the Dominican Republic and the three principal parties, The Carter Center's Council of Freely Elected Heads of Government, along with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), monitored the 1996 presidential elections.

Final Report: Observing the 1990 Dominican Republic Elections (PDF), released Aug. 16, 1990
At the invitation of the president of the Central Electoral Board of the Dominican Republic, The Carter Center's Council of Freely Elected Heads of Government, along with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), monitored the 1990 presidential elections.