Santo Domingo.- Central Electoral Board judge Aura Celeste Fernandez yesterday ratcheted her demand of more transparency in that entity, including rendering of accounts on expenses and for its Plenary to clarify contracts and similar topics.

Fernandez said despite the JCE’s budget of almost RD$2.5 billion, its members aren’t aware of how it’s spent, because the topic never has been placed on the Plenary’s agenda. “I see rental  contracts for premises of registry offices of RD$2,000 and RD$3,000 (monthly), but those for works I have never seen them.”

She criticized JCE president Julio Cesar Castaños and the head of its Administrative Chamber Roberto Rosario, affirming that a system of “terror” has been created which forces silence upon its officials.

Fernandez said she and other Plenary members whom she believes are also in this “crusade for transparency” are “mortified” because at the end of the JCE’s current tenure, the Administrative Chamber is assigning works that cost more than RD$400 million, without the Plenary’s knowledge of the contracts or its authorization. “I don’t know if the president of the Plenary (Castaños) signs those contracts as a legal representative, he probably signs them, but he doesn’t take them to the Plenary for the plenary to see and authenticate.”