SANTO DOMINGO.- Electoral Board president Julio Cesar Castaños yesterday warned the political parties against registering candidates linked to narcotics trafficking or pending court cases even when it’s the court which has the final say on accepting those candidacies.

In that regard the political expert Ramon Holguín blamed the “objectionable” candidacies on the political system’s weaknesses.

The statements come in the wake of at least three legislators of the three major  parties involved in scandals which he says reveal the lack of controls in those political organizations when choosing their candidates to elected posts.

San Pedro senator Alejandro Williams, of the ruling PLD party and opposition PRSC party deputy for Santiago Radhamés Fermín have been criticized for their lack of attendance despite “religiously” collecting their paychecks. Williams was also taken to court for harassing several journalists.

Another deputy, Julio Romero, of the opposition PRD party has been taken to court on a paternity suit and allegedly raped several women in their adolescence, and Radhamés Ramos (El Chino), also of the PRD, was convicted for people trafficking several years ago, but the voters of La Vega still reelected him