Dominican Republic assumes pro tempore presidency of UNIORE

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic assumed this Friday the pro tempore presidency of the Inter-American Union of Electoral Organizations (UNIORE), for the period 2021-2023, which it will exercise through the Central Electoral Board (JCE) and the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE). ).

Upon receiving the new responsibilities as co-president of UNIORE, the president of the JCE, Román Jáquez Liranzo, congratulated the outgoing bodies, the National Electoral Institute of Mexico and the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judicial Branch, for the collaboration, cooperation and strengthening of democracy carried out throughout the region with high levels of effectiveness and innovation.

Jáquez Liranzo expressed that the task is of double importance, as it is carried out in the midst of one of the most complex scenarios that humanity has experienced, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, reiterated the will for horizontal cooperation between the UNIORE members.

“It is possible to develop a work agenda in each mission independently of other missions, a particular agenda, in which we can carry out technical electoral observation within the framework of exercises and meetings that allow us to render reports, as well as exercise the technical role. and not political in each observation, based on one's own objectives.

This will allow UNIORE to strengthen its leadership both internally and externally. This must be taken into account by each body and assess this independence in each observation, ”said Jáquez Liranzo.

Among the axes of action that UNIORE is proposing to promote, he said that there are, first, to strengthen the advanced technical and technological missions when necessary, as has been done; second, the observation per se, which is the technical electoral observation and, third, the jurisdictional post-electoral observation, an initiative that began and that it proposes to continue permanently.

It also proposed greater cooperation commitments in education and scientific research, as well as technical and technological assistance.
For his part, the co-president and president of the TSE, Marcos Antonio Cruz García, expressed that they assume the commitment to continue the work and efforts made by the outgoing presidency of Mexico.

“The brother peoples of the continent have shown solidarity, which fills us with hope and joy. It is a sign that we are aware and willing to remain standing and firm in our goal as a civilization that wants to continue insisting and building more just and inclusive societies, "he said.

He explained that UNIORE has been showing a tireless commitment to unity and regional cooperation, as well as to the advancement and consolidation of electoral observation processes, through which the quality of work has been improved, to help improve democracy in the region.

The formal handover of the presidency was made during the development of an extraordinary virtual conference, but it is projected that it will be held formally in a face-to-face event in the development of this year, where the country that will assume after the end of the term of office will be announced. the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic was elected during the XIV Conference of the Inter-American Union of Electoral Organizations (UNIORE) held in October 2019 in Mexico City. The candidacy was proposed by Jáquez Liranzo, then president of the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE), and was unanimously accepted by the 28 electoral bodies of the 20 member countries of UNIORE.

The Dominican Republic will be responsible for the organization of the XV UNIORE Conference, in November 2021, where it will also commemorate the 30th anniversary of the entity and for 2022, it will also be responsible for organizing the XVI Conference.

The day. During the virtual meeting, in addition to the transfer of the presidency, the panel “Experiences of member electoral bodies that have had elections during the pandemic” was held, in which the representatives of the electoral bodies that had to hold elections in the context of the health crisis shared their experiences.