Social Christian Reformist Party
Encyclopedia
The Social Christian Reformist Party is a conservative, christian democratic, economic liberal and a populist party in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

 formed by the union of the Partido Reformista (established in 1963 by Joaquín Balaguer
Joaquín Balaguer
Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo was the President of the Dominican Republic from 1960 to 1962, from 1966 to 1978, and again from 1986 to 1996.-Early life and introduction to politics:...

 who was, at the time, exiled in New York City) and the Partido Revolucionario Social Cristiano. Some of the PRSC's founders and leaders were originally business leaders and Roman Catholics who opposed the communist, democratic socialist and social democratic tendencies of Juan Bosch
Juan Bosch
Juan Emilio Bosch Gaviño was a politician, historian, short story writer, essayist, educator, and the first cleanly elected president of the Dominican Republic for a brief time in 1963. Previously, he had been the leader of the Dominican opposition in exile to the dictatorial regime of Rafael...

 and José Francisco Peña Gómez
José Francisco Peña Gómez
José Francisco Peña Gómez was a politician from the Dominican Republic. He was the leader of the Dominican Revolutionary Party , a three-time candidate for president of the Dominican Republic and former Mayor of Santo Domingo...

, of the PRD
Dominican Revolutionary Party
The Dominican Revolutionary Party is one of the main political parties of the Dominican Republic. It has a moderate centrist position, social democratic in name. The party's distinctive color is white....

 and PLD
Dominican Liberation Party
The Dominican Liberation Party is one of the main political parties of the Dominican Republic, and has a centrist position.The party has been elected into office thrice now with Leonel Fernández as President of the Dominican Republic in the 1996, 2004 and 2008 elections, though losing in 2000...

. However, as is the case with most party politics in the Dominican Republic, the party remains pragmatically populist.

Founders of the original PRSC (former Partido Revolucionario Social Cristiano) were anti-trujillistas, among others: Alfonso Moreno Martinez, Mario Read Vittini, Yuyo D'Alessandro, Caonabo Javier Castillo, all of them returning to the Dominican Rep. from political exile. Years later this political party and the Partido Reformista together became Partido Refomista Social Cristiano.

Populism
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...

 in the Dominican Republic means that candidates win by impressing poor people with promises and personal charisma. Individuals vote based on the likelihood that their personal position will be improved by the vote. The state is poor but paternalistic, and so limited government resources – in the shape of employment opportunities, public works, funding, and free food – are to a certain extent passed out based on party membership. (See: Politics of the Dominican Republic
Politics of the Dominican Republic
Government of the Dominican Republic takes place in a framework of a representative democracy, whereby the President of the Dominican Republic is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in...

.)

Another important characteristic of politics in the Dominican Republic is the predominance of strong charismatic leaders in place of ideology. Balaguer assembled a machine that helped decide elections even after he was out of power and infirm. At the legislative elections
Elections in the Dominican Republic
Elections in the Dominican Republic gives information on election and election results in the Dominican Republic.The Dominican Republic elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a four year term by the people. The Congress of the...

, 16 May 2002, the party won 24.3 % of the popular vote and 36 out of 150 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 2 out of 31 seats in the Senate
Senate of the Dominican Republic
The Senate is the upper house of the Dominican Republic's bicameral National Congress. The lower house is the Chamber of Deputies....

. Its candidate at the presidential election
Dominican Republic presidential election, 2004
Presidential elections were held in the Dominican Republic on 16 May 2004. The result was a victory for former president Leonel Fernández, who defeated incumbent Hipólito Mejía...

 of 16 May 2004, Eduardo Estrella, won 8.6 % of the vote.

In the 16 May 2006 legislative elections
Elections in the Dominican Republic
Elections in the Dominican Republic gives information on election and election results in the Dominican Republic.The Dominican Republic elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a four year term by the people. The Congress of the...

, the party formed together with its traditional opponent, the Dominican Revolutionary Party
Dominican Revolutionary Party
The Dominican Revolutionary Party is one of the main political parties of the Dominican Republic. It has a moderate centrist position, social democratic in name. The party's distinctive color is white....

, and others the Grand National Alliance
Grand National Alliance (Dominican Republic)
The Grand National Alliance , commonly known as the "Alianza Rosada" , was a one-time electoral alliance in the Dominican Republic. The alliance was led by the Dominican Revolutionary Party and the Social Christian Reformist Party...

, that won only 82 out of 178 deputies and 10 out of 32 senators. The Social Christian Reform Party itself won 23 seats in the chamber of deputies and 4 seats in the senate, taking a distant third place compared to the Dominican Liberation Party, which won the election, and the Dominican Revolutionary Party.

For the last Presidential Election of May 2008, the PRSC elected as their Candidate : Dominican Municipal League President (and elected but never serving Senator from Higuey) Amable Aristy Castro. He came in a distant third place with less thab 5% of the vote.

For the last legistative elections of May 2010, the party formed with the Dominican Liberation Party a partial alliance in almost all provinces and won 4 senators (1 alone and 3 within the alliance) and 8 deputies (3 alone and 5 within the alliance).

List of Presidents of the Party

  1. Joaquín Balaguer
    Joaquín Balaguer
    Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo was the President of the Dominican Republic from 1960 to 1962, from 1966 to 1978, and again from 1986 to 1996.-Early life and introduction to politics:...

  2. Federico Antún Batlle
  3. Carlos Morales Troncoso
    Carlos Morales Troncoso
    Carlos Morales Troncoso is a Dominican politician who currently serves as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic since 2004.-Family background:...



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