Senate of the Dominican Republic

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

Senate of the Dominican Republic

Senado de la República Dominicana
Flag of the Dominican Republic Senate
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
Founded1844 and 1908[1]
New session started
August 16, 2016 (2016-08-16)
Leadership
President
Reinaldo Pared Pérez, PLD
since August 16, 2016
Vice-President
Aristides Victoria Yeb, PLD
since August 16, 2018
Majority Leader
Rafael Porfirio Calderon Martinez, PLD
since August 16, 2018
Minority Leader
Amarilis Santana Cedano, PLD
since August 16, 2018
Structure
Seats32
Political groups
PLD and allies (28)
  PLD: 26 seats
  PRD: 1 seat
  PLR: 1 seat
Minority (3)
  PRM: 2 seats
  PRSC: 1 seat
Independent (1)
  BIS: 1
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.
Last election
May 15, 2016
Next election
May 17, 2020
Meeting place
Congress Palace, Santo Domingo
Website
http://www.senado.gob.do/senado/
Dominican Republic
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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

Qualifications

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

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

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

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

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

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 (2016- )

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
REINALDO DE LAS MERCEDES
PARED PÉREZ		 PLD PLD D.N.
AMÍLCAR JESÚS
ROMERO PORTUONDO		 PLD PLD Duarte
ADRIANO DE JESUS
SÁNCHEZ ROA		 PLD PLD Elías Piña
SANTIAGO JOSÉ
ZORRILLA		 PRM PRM El Seibo
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
FÉLIX MARÍA
VÁSQUEZ ESPINAL		 PLD PRD Sánchez Ramírez
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
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

Party strengths in the Senate

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

Party19982002200620102016
  Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD)
24
29
7
0
1
  Dominican Liberation Party (PLD)
3
1
22
28
26
  Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM)
-
-
-
-
2
  Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC)  
3
2
3
4
1
  Institutional Social Democratic Bloc (BIS)
0
0
0
0
1
  Liberal Reformist Party (PLR)
-
-
-
-
1
   Total
30
32
32
32
32

References
  1. Checo, José Chez; Sang, Mu-Kien Adriana. "Historia de la Cámara de Diputados - TOMO I. 1844-1978" (PDF). www.camaradediputados.gob.do.

See also
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