At stake in this election:

• 32 seats in the Senate (Senado)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez
• Head of Government: President Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez
• Assembly: Dominican Republic has a bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consisting of the Senate (Senado) with 32 seats and the Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados) with 150 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 4-year term.
• In the Senate (Senado) 32 members are elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms. In the Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados) 150 members are elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Party of Dominican Liberation (PLD)
  • Leader: Hatuey DE CAMPS
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 2
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 24
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 41
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 83
• Party: Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD)
  • Leader: Leonel FERNANDEZ Renya
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 29
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 3
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 73
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 49
• Party: Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC)
  • Leader: Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 1
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 17
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 36
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 3
• Party: Others
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in last Senate election: N/A
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 0
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: N/A

Last Legislative election:

• National Congressional elections were last held May 16,1998.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 8,832,286 (2002)
• Registered Voters: 4,644,791 (2002)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 4,407,310 (2002)

·         Is Dominican Republic a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Dominican Republic ratified CEDAW: Yes (2 September 1982)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 26 (Chamber of Deputies); 2 (Senate) (following the 2002 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 101 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Dominican Republic a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Dominican Republic ratified CRPD: Yes (18 August 2009)

·         Population with a disability: 1,324,842 (est.)