PDP leaders propose amendments to party regulations
By John McPhaul
jpmcphaul@gmail.com
At-large Rep. Héctor Ferrer Santiago, along with Juan Vega, president of the Public Servants Organization, Ada Álvarez, president of Popular Women, and at-large Rep. Jesús Manuel Ortiz presented on Sunday a series of proposed amendments to the regulations of the Popular Democratic Party (PDP).
Most of the amendments seek full compliance with the determinations approved by the majority of the components of the party’s various organizations.
“Although it is true that this party is the longest-running … it is no less true that it has been a vanguard party, which requires carrying out a process of self-assessment and tempering itself to the new times, without forgetting the postulates that influenced its creation,” Ferrer Santiago said.
Among the main proposals are:
* Compliance with the decisions, resolutions and positions approved by the majority of the Governing Board, the General Council, the General Assembly, the legislative caucus and/or legislative conference to which they belong, as well as in the caucus of the respective municipal legislatures.
* The inclusion of language indicating that the issues contained in the Government Program adopted by the Assembly oblige the leadership and all candidates of the Popular Democratic Party to conduct their functions based on it. Includes all elected officials in both the majority and minority.
* The tempering of regulations to the Law for the Control of the Financing of Political Campaigns
* Creation of a legislative campaign committee
* Creation of an assistant secretary for regulations
* Creation of new positions in response to the new political, demographic and social reality, such as: the LBGTTIQ+ community, the private sector, the community sector, retirees, people with disabilities and the faith-based.
“The time has come. Our people want to have a voice and a vote in the bodies that make up the governance of our institution,” Vega said. “The time has come to show our commitment and dedication and leave our personalities to grow! The time has come to think about the collective and not about individualism, if we want to prevail as a body in the face of elections. For this reason, as president of the Public Servants Organization, I propose the … changes in the current structure of our Popular Democratic Party.
Álvarez added that “the PDP organizations are essential for [the party’s] future.”
“We are listening to the needs of the people and we are the ones who carry those concerns,” she said. “This is an opportunity to make the PDP more inclusive and to redesign decision-making for the future.”