SANTO DOMINGO.- Dominican Republic’s third largest political party yesterday submitted a resolution to the electoral court to formalize the expulsion of 395 senior leaders and members of that organization, who chose to support president Leonel Fernandez’s re-election bid or who left it to join other political groups.

The political commission of the Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC) –which together with its founder Joaquin Balaguer held office for 22 years, said in the document given to the Central Electoral Board (JCE) that for several years the resignations of its leaders and rank-and-file have been taking place, and others who’ve gone to occupy public posts without the party’s due authorization,” are in effect “no longer members of that party."

The massive stampede by PRSC leaders at all levels have has grown in the last few months around the country.

To justify the purge, the PRSC argues that "to reach agreements with other political organizations without approval of the leadership or the party’s competent organisms, or to participate in activities and actions supported or promoted by other organizations or political factions opposed to the PRSC", the expulsion "is established ipso facto".

Many of the PRSC leaders expelled have joined the reelection campaign through the movements Presidential Councils, led by the Foreign Relations minister and former vice president with Balaguer, Carlos Morales; Leonel in the First Ballot, the Reformist Popular Party, or have left to support former PRSC candidate and currently of the Quarta Via, Eduardo Estrella.