Independence: 27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
Constitution: 28 November 1966
Legal system: based on French civil codes
Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age note: members of the armed forces and police cannot vote
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Joaquin BALAGUER
Ricardo (since 16 August 1986, sixth elected term began 16 August
1994); Vice President Jacinto PEYNADO Garrigoza (since 16 August
1994); president is elected for a four-year term by direct vote;
election last held 16 May 1994 (next to be held 16 May 1996);
results - Joaquin BALAGUER (PRSC) 42.6%, Juan BOSCH Gavino (PLD)
13.2%, Jose Francisco PENA Gomez (PRD) 41.9%, Jacobo MAJLUTA (PRI)
2.3%
cabinet: Cabinet was nominated by the president
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Senate (Senado): elections last held 16 May 1994 (next to be held NA
May 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (30 total)
PRSC 15, PLD 1, PRD 14
Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados): elections last held 16
May 1994 (next to be held NA May 1998); results - percent of vote by
party NA; seats - (120 total) PLD 13, PRSC 50, PRD 57
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges are elected
by the Senate
Political parties and leaders:
major parties: Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), Joaquin
BALAGUER Ricardo; Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Lidio CADET;
Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), Jose Franciso PENA Gomez;
Independent Revolutionary Party (PRI), Jacobo MAJLUTA
minor parties: National Veterans and Civilian Party (PNVC), Juan
Rene BEAUCHAMPS Javier; Liberal Party of the Dominican Republic
(PLRD), Andres Van Der HORST; Democratic Quisqueyan Party (PQD),
Elias WESSIN Chavez; National Progressive Force (FNP), Marino
VINICIO Castillo; Popular Christian Party (PPC), Rogelio DELGADO
Bogaert; Dominican Communist Party (PCD), Narciso ISA Conde;
Dominican Workers' Party (PTD), Ivan RODRIGUEZ; Anti-Imperialist
Patriotic Union (UPA), Ignacio RODRIGUEZ Chiappini; Alliance for
Democracy Party (APD), Maximilano Rabelais PUIG Miller, Nelsida
MARMOLEJOS, Vicente BENGOA; Democratic Union (UD), Fernando ALVAREZ
Bogaert
note: in 1983 several leftist parties, including the PCD, joined to
form the Dominican Leftist Front (FID); however, they still retain
individual party structures
Other political or pressure groups: Collective of Popular
Organizations (COP)