Dominican Republic Presidency
The government of the Dominican Republic is based on a representative democracy. It is divided into three branches of government independent of one another: the Executive Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the Legislative Branch.
The Executive Branch is headed by the President, who is elected by direct vote for a 4-year term and can opt for a second consecutive constitutional term, without the possibility of running for office again. The President appoints the Cabinet and the governors of the 31 provinces.
He executes the laws approved by the Legislative Branch and is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Mayors and municipal councilors are also elected by direct vote for a 4-year term to administer the 124 municipalities and the National District (Santo Domingo).
The current president for the 2020-2024 period is Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, for the PRM party, who despite 2 years in the post still commands one of the top acceptance levels among the voters and is expected to win reelection for a second mandate due to his aggresive campaign against government corruption.
The Legislative Branch consists of a bicameral Congress made up of the Senate, with 32 members, and the Chamber of Deputies, with 178 members. The members of both chambers are elected by direct vote of the corresponding province.
Puerto Plata has a special importance in this government, because it has been a favorite area for the president and his family for many years; also because the Chief of Staff is a native from here, Mr. Jose Ignacio Paliza, and he was the Senator of the province as well.
The Judicial Power is administered by the Supreme Court of Justice, which is made up of 16 judges appointed by the National Council of the Magistrature, an entity created to guarantee the independence of the other powers of the State.
The National Council of the Judiciary, as stated by the Constitution, must have as members representatives of the official party, the opposition party and the Supreme Court of Justice.
The website of the presidency of the Dominican Republic has a portal with a vast library of videos and information; we recommend the series about the national palace, a series of short videos with historic information and insider walk-through like never before: https://presidencia.gob.do/series/conoce-el-palacio-nacional/construccion
The settings in Youtube allow you to set the CC (closed caption) translated in any language, as these videos were recorded in Spanish. The same website has a section on the current public policies being implemented, gallery of pictures and important information and links to Dominican government ministries.
