Dominican Republic: Protest scheduled in Santo Domingo on October 8 /update 1

Event

Former President and presidential primary candidate Leonel Fernandez will stage a protest in Santo Domingo on Tuesday, October 8, due to the primary election results. The protest will be held in front of the Central Electoral Board's (JCE) central offices at Plaza de la Bandera Dominicana at 10:00 (local time).

Associated transportation disruptions are to be expected in the vicinity of the protest, as well as a heightened security presence. Other related protests are possible in the coming several days.

Context

The protest comes as independent international observers announced that the results presented by the JCE did not match that which the observers noted. The JCE announced that with 99.29 percent of the votes counted, Gonzalo Castillo obtained 48.57 percent of the vote, whereas Leonel Fernandez obtained 47.43 percent, a difference of 47,909 votes. A series of irregularities and violence were reported outside voting centers across the country on October 6, during a primary election. Said irregularities included the purchase of votes outside of polling centers and technical glitches restricting who citizens could vote for.

Advice

Individuals in Dominican Republic are advised to avoid any protests as a precaution and adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.