Presidential Candidate in the Dominican Republic Rejects Plans For Haitian Refugee Camps

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – The presidential candidate for the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), Miguel Vargas Maldonado,  on Friday reiterated his position of rejection of attempts to install refugee camps for Haitians in the country

“We reject any attempt to establish refugee camps for Haitians in the Dominican Republic,” Vargas Maldonado said.

“We are the ones who have collaborated and supported the Haitian people the most, but we cannot continue to be burdened with any solution to Haiti that has to do with the Dominican Republic.”

In the run up to the May 19 presidential elections, Vargas Maldonado was participating in a special programme hosted by the Corripio Communications Group.

He also  called on Dominicans and PRD militants to “defend the sovereignty” of the Dominican Republic.

“We have to defend our sovereignty, defend our territory and in that sense we are committed as a person and as the Dominican Revolutionary Party,” he said.

Maldonado took advantage of the occasion to present his proposals on public spending, security, migration, among others.

General elections will be held here on May 19 to elect a president, vice-president, 32 senators, 190 deputies among others.

In all, there will be 264 posts at stake.

In the case of the presidency, if none of the candidates obtain 50 plus one percent of the votes, a second round will follow on June 30.

In the upcoming elections, 8,118,214 people will be eligible to vote, of which 51.28 percent are women and 48.72 percent are men.