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Dominican Republic
>> Regional Overview >> Dominican Republic Overview Activity Data Sheet
PROGRAM: Dominican Republic
TITLE AND NUMBER: More Participatory, Representative and Better Functioning Democracy Achieved, 517-003
PLANNED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $3,400,000 (DA); $3,488,000 (ESF)
PROPOSED FY 2002 OBLIGATION AND ACCOUNT: $2,500,000 (DA); $2,000,000 (ESF)
STATUS: Continuing
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1997 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002Summary: This activity is promoting democratic consolidation in the Dominican Republic by strengthening the rule of law and respect for human rights, developing a freer and more active civil society, and creating civil society support for more genuine and competitive electoral processes. Support for more representative, responsive and accountable governance helps foster a functioning system of checks and balances that include effective judicial, prosecutorial, public defense, and good governance/anti-corruption systems. These strengthened systems in turn empower Dominicans to better uphold rule of law and defend political and civil liberties against authoritarian encroachments. Every Dominican benefits from a better functioning democracy.
The program supports the U.S. national interests of democracy, human rights, and international crime by improving electoral processes, strengthening the criminal justice system, combating corruption, strengthening the criminal justice system capacity, and reducing transnational crime and drug trafficking. A strong Dominican democracy and an effective justice system serve thousands of national and international commercial enterprises and investors, including U.S. investors and property owners, by promoting stable, accountable governance with fair, equitable justice, thus fostering a sound business and investment climate.
Key Results: USAID's democracy and governance program achieved several important results indicative of a democracy under consolidation. These results include vastly increased civic participation in political debates and campaign platform development for the presidential election; unparalleled civic representation by official poll monitors on election day; unprecedented student participation in civic education programs; and greater access to the justice system for Dominicans.
During the past year, more Dominicans participated in election-related activities than ever before, suggesting that democracy in the Dominican Republic is becoming more participatory. In preparation for the May 2000 presidential elections, 399 USAID-sponsored non-governmental organizations (NGOs) organized one-day workshops in their communities to foster informed discussion on campaign ethics, political party platforms, women's political initiatives, and elected official accountability. In November, NGOs conducted another round of debates with grassroots leaders on constitutional and electoral reforms and the need for new municipal legislation.
Elections are now freer and fairer in the Dominican Republic. USAID exceeded its election monitoring participation target of 7,000 for the May 2000 presidential elections. A USAID grant to a local NGO, Citizen Participation, enabled the grantee to recruit, train, and field more than 8,600 Dominicans (4,261 men and 4,435 women) as election day monitors, of which the Central Election Board officially certified 7,500. On election day, Citizen Participation conducted a quick count of the election results, which added credibility to the final vote tally (the count results were within 0.11% of the official results). Other important civil society-sponsored pre-election activities included auditing the voter registration process and official registry, monitoring the internal election campaign, convincing the major parties to sign an Electoral Code of Ethics, sponsoring several debates on the parties' campaign platforms, and publishing biographies of national and municipal judges on the web-site. These initiatives helped make the election more transparent, issue-oriented, credible, freer, and fairer.
Young Dominicans are also increasingly interested in learning more about democratic principles. Through USAID's Democratic Initiatives activity, more than 3,100 students participated in civic education programs in 2000, which exceeded the planned target by more than 50%. This initiative is also targeting teachers and principals. Although civic education is not yet included in the Ministry of Education's official curriculum, the Ministry is now considering including the course material developed under this activity.
Finally, the expansion of a USAID-funded public defenders pilot program brought access to justice much closer for many Dominicans, especially the poor. During the past year, the number of Public Defense offices increased from three to seven and an additional three are expected to open by May 2001. These new offices helped USAID to exceed its target (4,000 planned; 6,585 actual) for the number of criminal cases that receive public defenders' assistance. These successful pilot programs were key in galvanizing support for the National Public Defense System's bill, which was drafted with USAID technical assistance and is now before the congress. Another important accomplishment was the drafting and submission to the congress of a Criminal Procedures Code reform bill that radically streamlines and adds transparency to the Dominican system. Finally, USAID-funded technical assistance helped the Mejia Administration's Anti-Corruption Unit develop a strategic plan. The Anti-Corruption Unit has begun prosecuting high-level public officials of both the current and former administrations.
Performance and Prospects: Given the change in Dominican government and the number of technical staff and USAID counterparts replaced by the incoming Mejia Administration, USAID expects to provide extensive, unanticipated training for Executive Branch judicial sector officials. Despite the replacement of Public Ministry prosecutors and staff, most USAID-supported reforms and improved procedures survived intact. However, many challenges remain, such as establishing a Public Ministry office of professional responsibility (internal investigations) and enacting and implementing a prosecutor career law system. USAID expects that a new automated criminal case tracking and management system for courts and prosecutors will be installed by November 2001. Finally, USAID will continue technical assistance and training interventions to improve court efficiency and effectiveness.
The Dominican Republic is also making progress in fighting corruption. The Public Ministry Anti-Corruption Unit documented and filed six major corruption cases with Dominican courts during the past year. Four of these six cases involved senior public officials of the previous Administration and two others from the current Administration. USAID will continue to assist civil society groups which actively participate in the justice sector reform and anti-corruption agenda, and which respond to special interest groups' counter-reform machinations.
Though the 2000 election exemplified the gains the Dominican Republic has made in democracy, challenges continue to lie ahead. These include creating electoral districts for the 2002 congressional and municipal elections; determining whether or not to change congressional and municipal terms; and simplifying the rules governing polling sites. Some of the debated modifications require changes in Central Election Board regulations, amendments to the Electoral Law, or even amendments to the Constitution. USAID-supported Dominican NGOs have collaborated with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, the National Democratic Institute, and the Carter Center to examine these issues and are creating consensus on how to proceed.
Civil society continues to play an important role in advancing democratic principles and reforms in the Dominican Republic. In FY 2001, USAID will help civil society explore the dimensions of public and private sector corruption. These analyses and discussions will help develop a plan of action for civil society, the Anti-Corruption Unit, and the private sector to respond to the issues identified.
FY 2001 DA funds support civil society's ability to contribute to the reform of the election, justice, education and environmental management systems ($1,777,000); and technical assistance, training and institutional strengthening for civil society-based, pre-electoral activities ($1,623,000). FY 2001 ESF funds support technical assistance, training for justice institutions and grants to civil society to improve administration of justice ($2,100,000); enhance access to justice for the poor ($700,000); and efforts to combat corruption ($688,000).
FY 2002 DA funds support civil society involvement in electoral reform and monitoring activities ($1,000,000); technical assistance to help civil society make elected officials more accountable ($400,000); improve transparency, efficiency and responsiveness of major political parties and enhance democratic skills of young political leaders ($400,000); and civil society advocacy and participation in GODR rule of law/anti-corruption initiatives ($700,000). FY 2002 ESF funds will improve administration of justice ($1,200,000), enhance access to justice for the poor ($400,000); and support public sector and civil society anti-corruption initiatives ($400,000).
Possible Adjustments to Plans: Training and organizational strengthening assistance interrupted by the Congressional hold in 2000 will be resumed for judges, prosecutors, and public defenders. Some Rule of Law program resources will be shifted to address new opportunities in the good governance/anti-corruption component.
Other Donor Programs: The Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the United Nations Drug Control Program, the United Nations Children's Fund, Spain, and the U.S. Justice Department.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: U.S. organizations include: Citizen Participation, Foundation for Institutionality and Justice, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Local organizations include the Pontificate Catholic University Mother and Teacher.
Dominican Republic 517-003
Performance Measures:
Indicator FY97
(Actual)FY98
(Actual)FY99
(Actual)FY00
(Actual)FY00
(Plan)FY01
(Plan)FY02
(Plan)Indicator 1: Average time for case disposition in criminal courts - National District 10.0 6.5 5.8 NA 6.0 5.5 5.1 Indicator 2: Citizens involved in monitoring elections at national and local levels NA 11000 NA 8696 7,000 NA 8000 Indicator 3: Students participating in USAID-funded Democratic Initiative (DI) Project civic education programs NA 225 1000 3140 2000 4000 NA Indicator 4: Average time for case disposition in criminal courts - Santiago NA NA NA 10.0(Baseline) NA 8 6.5 Indicator Information:
Indicator Level (S)or(IR) Unit of Measure Source Indicator Description Indicator 1: IR Average number of months for cases which have final sentence - National District Joint data base of Public Ministry and Supreme Court of Justice as validated by National Center for State Courts inventory of 200,000 criminal cases in National District. Average time from indictment (referral to trial judge) to final disposition (sentence) within National District criminal courts. Indicator 2: IR Number of citizens Reports from Participación Ciudadana Citizens recruited and trained by USAID-supported partners that actively monitor the electoral process. * No elections are held in 2001. Indicator 3: IR Number of students DI Project reports Public school students taking civic education courses Indicator 4: IR Average number of months for cases which have final sentence - Santiago Joint data base of Public Ministry and Supreme Court of Justice as validated by National Center for State Courts inventory of 200,000 criminal cases in National District. Average time from indictment (referral to trial judge) to final disposition (sentence) within National District criminal courts. U.S. Financing
(In thousands of dollars)
Obligations Expenditures Unliquidated Through September 30, 1999 14,646 DA 11,608 DA 3,038 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 5,355 ESF 2,012 ESF 3,343 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA Fiscal Year 2000 3,640 DA 4,935 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 3,356 ESF 940 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA Through September 30, 2000 18,286 DA 16,543 DA 1,743 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 8,711 ESF 2,952 ESF 5,759 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA Prior Year Unobligated Funds 0 DA 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Planned Fiscal Year 2001 NOA 3,400 DA 0 CSD 3,488 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Total Planned Fiscal Year 2001 3,400 DA 0 CSD 3,488 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Future Obligations Est. Total Cost Proposed Fiscal Year 2002 NOA 2,500 DA 155 DA 24,341 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 2,000 ESF 1,500 ESF 15,699 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA
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Last Updated on: May 29, 2002 |
