DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: parliamentary elections Senado, 2002

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Parliamentary Chamber: Senado

ELECTIONS HELD IN 2002

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Chamber:

Senado

Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):

16 May 2002

Purpose of elections:

Elections were held for all the seats in the Senate on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.

Background and outcome of elections:

Up for election on 16 May 2002 were all 182 seats in the Congress, 32 in the Senate and 150 in the Chamber of Deputies, as well as 912 municipal positions, including the 125 mayoral posts.
Some 23 parties and electoral coalitions were registered to contest the elections.
During the electoral campaign, the candidates from the ruling Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) pointed to economic gains, as GDP had grown some 3.5 per cent from January to March 2002 after posting a negative growth in 2001. Opposition leaders focused their campaigns on the promise to combat unemployment (15.6 per cent of the active population) and widespread poverty.
At the end of the campaign, election-related violence broke out when supporters of the main opposition parties, the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and the Reformist Social Christian Party (PRSC) clashed during a political rally in Yamasa, about 50 kilometres north of the capital, Santo Domingo. One man was killed and two other people, one of them a police officer, were injured. Violence also flared up early Thursday before the polls opened. One person was killed and five were injured in the north west of the country.
Some 4.6 million people were registered to vote in the elections and the final turnout was 51 per cent, much lower than in the previous legislative elections held in 1998.
More than 100 international observers from the Organisation of American States (OAS) and other organisations, monitoring the vote found no irregularities.
The results showed that the ruling PRD had won 73 of the 150 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, 10 less than in the previous elections, and 29 of the 32 seats in the Senate. The Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) took 41 seats and 1 seat respectively, as against 36 and 2 for the Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC).
On 16 August 2002, the newly elected Congress held its first sitting and re-elected Mrs. Rafaela Alburquerque as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and Mr. Andrés Bautista García as President of the Senate.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (16 May 2002): Elections results

Number of registered electors 4 644 791

Voters 2 371 247 (51 %)

Blank or invalid ballot papers 89 009

Valid votes 2 282 238

Round no 1: Distribution of seats

Political Group Total

Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) 29

Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC) 2

Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) 1

Distribution of seats according to sex:

Men: 30

Women: 2

Percent of women: 6.25

<<< Return to the Historical Archive page of parliamentary election results for DOMINICAN REPUBLIC <<<

Chamber:
	Senado
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	16 May 2002
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats in the Senate on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.
Background and outcome of elections:
	Up for election on 16 May 2002 were all 182 seats in the Congress, 32 in the Senate and 150 in the Chamber of Deputies, as well as 912 municipal positions, including the 125 mayoral posts. Some 23 parties and electoral coalitions were registered to contest the elections. During the electoral campaign, the candidates from the ruling Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) pointed to economic gains, as GDP had grown some 3.5 per cent from January to March 2002 after posting a negative growth in 2001. Opposition leaders focused their campaigns on the promise to combat unemployment (15.6 per cent of the active population) and widespread poverty. At the end of the campaign, election-related violence broke out when supporters of the main opposition parties, the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and the Reformist Social Christian Party (PRSC) clashed during a political rally in Yamasa, about 50 kilometres north of the capital, Santo Domingo. One man was killed and two other people, one of them a police officer, were injured. Violence also flared up early Thursday before the polls opened. One person was killed and five were injured in the north west of the country. Some 4.6 million people were registered to vote in the elections and the final turnout was 51 per cent, much lower than in the previous legislative elections held in 1998. More than 100 international observers from the Organisation of American States (OAS) and other organisations, monitoring the vote found no irregularities. The results showed that the ruling PRD had won 73 of the 150 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, 10 less than in the previous elections, and 29 of the 32 seats in the Senate. The Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) took 41 seats and 1 seat respectively, as against 36 and 2 for the Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC). On 16 August 2002, the newly elected Congress held its first sitting and re-elected Mrs. Rafaela Alburquerque as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and Mr. Andrés Bautista García as President of the Senate.

Round no 1 (16 May 2002): Elections results
Number of registered electors	4 644 791
Voters	2 371 247 (51 %)
Blank or invalid ballot papers	89 009
Valid votes	2 282 238

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total
Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD)	29
Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC)	2
Dominican Liberation Party (PLD)	1

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	30
Women:	2
Percent of women:	6.25