The executive branch submitted the referendum bill to the National Congress on Friday, through the Chamber of Deputies.
The Legal Adviser to the Executive Branch, Antoliano Peralta Romero, and the Sub-Consultant, Pedro Montilla Castillo, handed the legislative article to the President of the Chamber of Deputies Alfredo Pacheco on behalf of President Luis Abinader.
Peralta Romero reminded that, although other projects have passed before the Legislative Chambers with a similar purpose, the one that is presented now has the specificity of referring exclusively to the referendum in its way of consultative and constitutional approval.
“This is to speed up the regulation of this figure, without prejudice to the fact that later, other mechanisms for the participation of citizens enshrined in the Constitution may be developed,” said Peralta Romero.
Initiative submitted addresses the principles on which this figure is based and its application.
It details who can initiate the referendum process and how the National Congress knows about the request in various cases. It also addresses what procedure is followed for the materialization of consultations, among other issues of interest.
Peralta Romero reminded that, from now on, the initiative will follow the natural course of an organic law, which in order to be approved requires special majorities in each of the chambers.
The official said that with this step, the government continues its announced plan of institutional and democratic consolidation, through a series of legal reforms and the promotion of certain public policies.