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Senate of the Dominican Republic

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Senate of the Dominican Republic

Senado de la República Dominicana
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
Founded1844 and 1908[1]
New session started
August 16, 2023 (2023-08-16)
Leadership
Ricardo de los Santos Polanco, PRM
since August 16, 2023
Vice-President
Santiago Zorrilla, PRM
since August 16, 2020
Majority Leader
Cristóbal Venerado Castillo, PRM
since August 16, 2024
Minority Leader
Omar Fernández, FP
since August 16, 2024
Structure
Seats32
Political groups
PRM and allies (29)
24 PRM
1 PRSC
1 PPG
1 PRI
1 PLR
1 APD

Opposition (3)

3 FP
Length of term
4 years
Elections
First past the post mixed of a plurality and a transferable vote from the given to any same party deputies candidates in the Province.[clarification needed]
Last election
19 May 2024
Next election
2028
Meeting place
Hemicycle of the Senate
Congress Palace, Santo Domingo
Website
http://www.senado.gob.do/senado/

The Senate of the Dominican Republic (Spanish: Senado de la República Dominicana) is the upper house in the bicameral legislature of the Dominican Republic, and together with the Chamber of Deputies makes up the Congress.

The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Third Title, Chapter 1 in the First Section of the Dominican Constitution. Each province, and the Distrito Nacional, regardless of population, is represented by one senator who serves for a four-year term, with possibility of reelection. The Senate Chamber is located in the west wing of the Congress Palace, in Santo Domingo. The Chamber of Deputies convenes in the east wing of the same building.

The Senate has several advice and consent powers not granted to the Chamber of Deputies, including consenting to treaties, loans and contracts as a precondition to their ratification and consenting to or confirming appointments the members of Chamber of Accounts, Central Electoral Board and ambassadors. The Senate is widely considered both a more deliberative and more prestigious body than the Chamber of Deputies. Due to its smaller size and statewide constituencies, the Senate has historically had a more collegial and less partisan atmosphere.

Membership

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Qualifications

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The constitution of the Dominican Republic states that to be a senator, one must be a Dominican in full exercise of civil and political rights, have attained twenty-five years old, and be a native of the territorial demarcation that choose or have resided there for at least five consecutive years. In consequence:

  • The senators must reside in the territorial demarcation from which they are elected during their elected terms of office;
  • Naturalized persons may be elected to the Senate ten years after having acquired Dominican nationality, provided they have resided in the territorial demarcation (jurisdiction) from which they seek election for a period of at least five years prior to their election.

Election and Terms

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The members of the Senate in Dominican Republic are elected by the D'Hondt method in relationship with the deputies. The terms for serving as senator are unlimited, one term corresponds to four years.

Oath

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The internal rules of procedure of the Senate requires that senators take an oath or affirmation to support the Constitution. Congress has prescribed the following oath for all senators:

The oath to be provided is:

"I SWEAR TO GOD, THE HOMELAND AND MY HONOR, RESPECT CONSTITUTION AND LAWS AND COMPLY WITH DIGNITY AND THE FAITHFULLY OTHER DUTIES OF MY OFFICE",

what will be answered as follows:

"IF I DO SO, GOD AND THE PEOPLE WHAT OS REWARD IF I NOT, THAT I DEMAND IT. "

Majority and minority parties

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The "Majority party" is the political party that either has a majority of seats or can form a coalition or caucus with a majority of seats; if two or more parties are tied, the vice president's affiliation determines which party is the majority party. The next-largest party is known as the minority party.

Seating

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The majority party or the party with more senators traditionally sits to the presiding officer's right, and the minority party or the party with less senator traditionally sits to the presiding officer's left, regardless which party has a majority of seats.

Functions and Powers

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The exclusive powers of the Senate are:

  1. Know the allegations made by the Chamber of Deputies against and public officials. The plea leaves the person removed from office, and may not perform any public function, whether or not popularly elected for a term of ten years. The destitute person shall be subject, if any, to be charged and tried by the ordinary courts, in accordance with the law. This decision shall be taken by a vote of two-thirds of enrollment;
  2. To approve or disapprove the appointment of ambassadors and heads of permanent missions accredited abroad to submit to the President of the Republic;
  3. To elect the members of the Chamber of Accounts of the lists presented by the Chamber of Deputies, with the vote of two thirds of the senators present;
  4. To elect the members of the Central Electoral Board and their deputies, with the vote of two thirds of those present;
  5. Choose the Ombudsman, their deputies and their deputies from the triads to submit to the House of Representatives, by a vote of two-thirds of those present;
  6. To authorize, upon request of the President of the Republic, in the absence of agreement permitted, the presence of foreign troops in military exercises in the territory of the Republic, as well as determine the time and conditions of their stay;
  7. To approve or disapprove of sending troops abroad in peacekeeping missions authorized by international organizations, setting the conditions and duration of the mission.

Current composition (2024-2028)

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Senators elected in the May 19, 2024 elections.

Senator Electoral List Party Votes % Province
Lía Ynocencia Díaz
Díaz Santana
PRM PRM 74,732 66.73 AZUA
Andrés Guillermo
Lama Pérez
PRM APD 34,497 67.98 BAHORUCO
Moisés
Ayala Pérez
PRM PRI 53,226 61.05 BARAHONA
Manuel María
Rodríguez Ortega
PRM PRM 20,728 56.56 DAJABÓN
Omar Leonel
Fernández Domínguez
FP FP 256,054 56.20 DISTRITO NACIONAL
Franklin Martín
Romero Morillo
PRM PRM 87,987 72.87 DUARTE
Jonhson
Encarnación Díaz
PRM PRM 18,345 63.23 ELÍAS PIÑA
Santiago José
Zorrilla
PRM PRM 27,061 68.89 EL SEIBO
Carlos Manuel
Gómez Ureña
PRM PRM 74,036 68.85 ESPAILLAT
Cristóbal Venerado Antonio
Castillo Liriano
PRM PRM 24,447 51.49 HATO MAYOR
María Mercedes
Ortiz Diloné
PRM PRM 35,375 69.56 HERMANAS MIRABAL
Dagoberto
Rodríguez Adames
PRM PRM 15,726 56.65 INDEPENDENCIA
Rafael Barón
Duluc Rijo
PRM PLR 51,634 51.54 LA ALTAGRACIA
Eduard Alexis
Espiritusanto Castillo
FP FP 57,657 52.17 LA ROMANA
Ramón Rogelio
Genao Durán
PRM PRSC 106,471 59.94 LA VEGA
Alexis
Victoria Yeb
PRM PRM 51,320 75.36 MARÍA TRINIDAD SÁNCHEZ
Héctor Elpidio
Acosta Restituyo
PRM PRM 44,455 57.92 MONSEÑOR NOUEL
Bernardo
Alemán Rodríguez
PRM PRM 36,542 70.78 MONTE CRISTI
Pedro Antonio
Tineo Núñez
PRM PRM 41,093 42.93 MONTE PLATA
Secundino
Velázquez Pimentel
PRM PRM 8,709 61.00 PEDERNALES
Julito
Fulcar Encarnación
PRM PRM 41,551 52.58 PERAVIA
Ginnette Altagracia
Bournigal Socías de Jiménez
PRM PRM 80,509 54.76 PUERTO PLATA
Pedro Manuel
Catraín Bonilla
PRM PRM 25,207 50.97 SAMANÁ
Ricardo
de los Santos Polanco
PRM PRM 58,049 72.50 SÁNCHEZ RAMÍREZ
Gustavo
Lara Salazar
PRM PRM 158,055 57.86 SAN CRISTÓBAL
Milciades Aneudy
Ortiz Sajiún
PRM PRM 22,733 68.91 SAN JOSÉ DE OCOA
Félix Ramón
Bautista Rosario
FP FP 66,817 53.24 SAN JUAN
Aracelis
Villanueva Figueroa
PRM PRM 82,705 62.48 SAN PEDRO DE MACORÍS
Daniel Enrique de Jesús
Rivera Reyes
PRM PRM 226,765 63.06 SANTIAGO
Casimiro Antonio
Marte Familia
PRM PPG 18,172 56.82 SANTIAGO RODRÍGUEZ
Antonio Manuel
Taveras Guzmán
PRM PRM 478,470 54.17 SANTO DOMINGO
Odalis Rafael
Rodríguez Rodríguez
PRM PRM 41,628 63.24 VALVERDE

Composition (2020-2024)

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Senators elected in the July 2020 elections. This list contains the changes that occurred after the election until 1 May 2021.[2]

Senator Electoral List Party Province
LIA YNOCENCIA
DÍAZ SANTANA
PRM PRM Azua
MELANIA
SALVADOR JIMÉNEZ
PRM PRM Bahoruco
JOSÉ MANUEL
DEL CASTILLO SAVIÑÓN
PLD PLD Barahona
DAVID RAFAEL
SOSA CERDA
PRSC FP Dajabón
FRANKLIN MARTÍN
ROMERO MORILLO
PRM PRM Duarte
SANTIAGO JOSÉ
ZORRILLA
PRM PRM El Seibo
ARYS YVAN
LORENZO SUERO
PLD PLD Elías Piña
CARLOS
GÓMEZ UREÑA
PRM PRSC Espaillat
CRISTÓBAL VENERADO ANTONIO
CASTILLO LIRIANO
PRM PRM Hato Mayor
BAUTISTA ANTONIO
ROJAS GÓMEZ
PRSC FP Hermanas Mirabal
VALENTÍN
MEDRANO PÉREZ
PLD PLD Independencia
VIRGILIO
CEDANO CEDANO
PRSC FP La Altagracia
IVÁN JOSÉ
SILVA FERNÁNDEZ
PRM PRM La Romana
RAMÓN ROGELIO
GENAO DURÁN
PRSC PRSC La Vega
ALEXIS
VICTORIA YEB
PRM PRM María Trinidad Sánchez
HÉCTOR ELPIDIO
ACOSTA RESTITUYO
PRM PRM Monseñor Nouel
RAMÓN ANTONIO
PIMENTEL GÓMEZ
PRM PRM Monte Cristi
LENÍN
VALDEZ LÓPEZ
PRM PRM Monte Plata
DIONIS ALFONSO
SÁNCHEZ CARRASCO
PLD FP Pedernales
MILCIADES MARINO
FRANJUL PIMENTEL
PRM PRM Peravia
GINNETTE ALTAGRACIA
BOURNIGAL SOCIAS DE JIMÉNEZ
PRM PRM Puerto Plata
PEDRO MANUEL
CATRAÍN BONILLA
PRM PRM Samaná
FRANKLIN ALBERTO
RODRÍGUEZ GARABITOS
FP FP San Cristóbal
JOSÉ ANTONIO
CASTILLO CASADO
BIS FP San José de Ocoa
FÉLIX RAMÓN
BAUTISTA ROSARIO
PLD FP San Juan
FRANKLIN YSAÍAS
PEÑA VILLANOVA
PLD FP San Pedro de Macorís
RICARDO
DE LOS SANTOS POLANCO
PRM PRM Sánchez Ramírez
RAFAEL EDUARDO
ESTRELLA VIRELLA
DXC DXC Santiago
CASIMIRO ANTONIO
MARTE FAMILIA
PRSC FP Santiago Rodríguez
ANTONIO MANUEL
TAVERAS GUZMÁN
PRM PRM Santo Domingo
MARTÍN EDILBERTO
NOLASCO VARGAS
PRM PRM Valverde
FARIDE VIRGINIA
RAFUL SORIANO
PRM PRM Distrito Nacional

Composition (2016-2020)

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Senators elected in the May 2016 elections.

Senator Electoral List Party Province
RAFAEL PORFIRIO
CALDERÓN MARTÍNEZ
PLD PLD Azua
MANUEL ANTONIO
PAULA
PLD PLD Bahoruco
EDIS FERNANDO
MATEO VÁSQUEZ
PLD PLD Barahona
ROSA SONIA
MATEO ESPINOSA
PLD PLD Dajabón
AMÍLCAR JESÚS
ROMERO PORTUONDO
PLD PLD Duarte
SANTIAGO JOSÉ
ZORRILLA
PRM PRM El Seibo
ADRIANO DE JESÚS
SÁNCHEZ ROA
PLD PLD Elías Piña
JOSÉ RAFAEL
VARGAS PANTALEÓN
PLD PLD Espaillat
RUBÉN DARÍO
CRUZ UBIERA
PLD PLD Hato Mayor
LUIS RENÉ
CANAÁN ROJAS
PLD PLD Hermanas Mirabal
JUAN ORLANDO
MERCEDES SENA
PLD PLD Independencia
AMABLE
ARISTY CASTRO
PLD PLR La Altagracia
AMARILIS SANTANA
CEDANO DE MARTÍNEZ
PLD PLD La Romana
EUCLIDES RAFAEL
SÁNCHEZ TAVÁREZ
PLD PLD La Vega
ARÍSTIDES
VICTORIA YEB
PLD PLD Maria Trinidad Sanchez
FÉLIX MARÍA
NOVA PAULINO
PLD PLD Monseñor Nouel
HEINZ SIEGFRIED
VIELUF CABRERA
PLD PLD Monte Cristi
CHARLES NOEL
MARIOTTI TAPIA
PLD PLD Monte Plata
DIONIS ALFONSO
SÁNCHEZ CARRASCO
PLD PLD Pedernales
WILTON BIENVENIDO
GUERRERO DUMÉ
PLD PLD Peravia
JOSÉ IGNACIO RAMÓN
PALIZA NOUEL
PRM PRM Puerto Plata
PRIM PUJALS
NOLASCO
PLD FP Samaná
TOMMY ALBERTO
GALÁN GRULLÓN
PLD PLD San Cristóbal
PEDRO JOSÉ
ALEGRIA SOTO
BIS PLD San José de Ocoa
FÉLIX RAMÓN
BAUTISTA ROSARIO
PLD PLD San Juan
JOSÉ EMETERIO
HAZIM FRAPPIER
PRSC PLD San Pedro de Macorís
FÉLIX MARÍA
VÁSQUEZ ESPINAL
PLD PRD Sánchez Ramírez
JULIO CÉSAR
VALENTÍN JIMINIÁN
PLD PLD Santiago
ANTONIO DE JESÚS
CRUZ TORRES
PLD PLD Santiago Rodríguez
CRISTINA ALTAGRACIA
LIZARDO MÉZQUITA
PLD PLD Santo Domingo
MANUEL DE JESÚS
GÜÍCHARDO VARGAS
PLD FP Valverde
REINALDO DE LAS MERCEDES
PARED PÉREZ
PLD PLD Distrito Nacional

Party strengths in the Senate

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The following table shows the composition of the Senate at the start of the most recent legislative periods.

Party 1998 2002 2006 2010[1] 2016 2020 2024
Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) 2 17 24
Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC) 3 2 3 4 1 6[2] 1
Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) 3 1 22 28 26 6[3] 0
Institutional Social Democratic Bloc (BIS) 0 0 0 0 1 1[4] 0
People's Force (FP) 1[3] 3
Dominicans for Change (DXC) 1 0
Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) 24 29 7 0 1 0 0
Liberal Reformist Party (PLR) 1 0 1
People First Party (PPC) 1
Alliance for Democracy (APD) 1
Independent Revolutionary Party (PRI) 1
Total 30 32[5] 32 32 32 32 32
1 In 2010, the parliamentary term was extended to six years so that the elections could once again be held together with the presidential election. The presidential term had been shortened to two years in 1994, after the controversial election of Joaquín Balaguer against José Francisco Peña Gómez, after which the presidential and parliamentary elections were thus held separately, each every two years.[3]
2 After the electoral roll, Senators Bautista Rojas (Hermanas Mirabal), David Sosa (Dajabón) and Virgilio Cedano (La Altagracia) transferred from the PRSC to the FP; Senator Antonio Marte (Santiago Rodríguez), although not transferred from the PRSC, is also counted as part of the FP; the PRSC thus holds now 2 seats only (Carlos Gómez, Espaillat, and Ramón Genao, La Vega).[4]
3 After the elections, Senators Dionis Sánchez (Pedernales), Félix Bautista (San Juan)[5] and Franklin Peña (San Pedro de Macorís)[6] transferred from the PLD to the FP; the PLD thus now holds 3 seats only; the FP, also taking into account the transfers of PRSC and BIS and Antonio Marte (Santiago Rodríguez), now holds 9 seats.
4 After the transfer of Senator José Castillo (San José de Ocoa) from the BIS to the FP, the BIS now holds no seat anymore.
5 In 2001 and 2002 respectively, the provinces of Santo Domingo (by secession from the Distrito Nacional) and San José de Ocoa (by secession from the province of Peravia) were created, bringing the number of senators to 32.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Checo, José Chez; Sang, Mu-Kien Adriana. "Historia de la Cámara de Diputados - TOMO I. 1844-1978" (PDF). www.camaradediputados.gob.do.
  2. ^ "Senadores". Website of the Senate. 7 August 2020.
  3. ^ Melissa Marcelino (15 August 2011). "Sistema electoral y sistema de partidos en República Dominicana 1978–2008". Observatorio Politico Dominicano.
  4. ^ Josefina Medina (3 November 2020). "Éxodo al partido prometido: Salen del PLD y se van a la Fuerza del Pueblo". Hoy.
  5. ^ Abel Guzmán Then (16 August 2020). "Félix Bautista y Dionis Sánchez se fueron a la Fuerza del Pueblo". Listín Diario.
  6. ^ Josefina Medina (16 November 2020). "Continúa éxodo del PLD a Fuerza del Pueblo; Aguacates cuidaban empleos y estabilidad familiar". Hoy.
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