SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – This week, residents and in particular young Dominicans have been engaged in a series of protest actions. They are calling on the authorities to address the issue of election fraud in the country, ahead of the Sunday, May 17th general election.
The protest, which brought out hundreds of youth in Santo Domingo as well as other cities, was staged in response to the cancellation of municipal elections which were set to take place on Sunday, February 16th.
The elections were canceled about three hours after they began, due to what officials said was issues with the automated voting machines. However, that excuse did not sit too well with residents, who quickly responded by taking to the streets. They believe there is more to the explanation given by election officials.
Since the protest started, many Dominicans leaving abroad, including on Sint Maarten, have also bitterly expressed their dissatisfaction with the manner in which, the election process is being handled.
The protest action is happening at a time that the Dominican Republic is preparing to celebrate its 176 independence anniversary this month.
