Social Christian Reformist Party

The Social Christian Reformist Party (Spanish: Partido Reformista Social Cristiano, PRSC) is a Christian democratic right-wing political party in the Dominican Republic. It was established on July 24, 1984, by the union of Joaquín Balaguer's Partido Reformista and the Partido Revolucionario Social Cristiano.[2] Some of the PRSC's founders and leaders were originally business leaders and Roman Catholics who opposed the communist, socialist, and social democratic tendencies of Juan Bosch, the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) and the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).[3][4]

Social Christian Reformist Party

Partido Reformista Social Cristiano
AbbreviationPRSC
PresidentQuique Antún
General SecretaryRamón Rogelio Genao
PresidiumRicardo Espaillat
SpokespersonMáximo Castro
FounderJoaquín Balaguer
FoundedJuly 21, 1963 (1963-07-21)
HeadquartersSanto Domingo
IdeologyReformism
Christian democracy
Economic liberalism
Conservatism
Political positionCentre-right to right-wing
International affiliationCentrist Democrat International
Regional affiliationChristian Democrat Organization of America
Union of Latin American Parties
Colours      Red, green and white
SloganNi injusticias, ni privilegios (No injustices, no privileges)
Anthem
"Himno del Partido Reformista Social Cristiano"
"Hymn of Social Christian Reformist Party"
Chamber of Deputies[1]
4 / 190
Senate[1]
5 / 32
Mayors[1]
7 / 155
Central American Parliament[1]
1 / 20
Website
www.prsc.com.do

The PRSC is strongly associated with Balaguer, who was the presidential candidate of the PRSC and its predecessor party in all but one election between 1966 and 2000. The party was often in power during this period, but declined rapidly following Balaguer's death in 2002. After the mid-2000s the party was relegated to being a junior partner of the PRD or PLD, and ceased running a presidential candidate in 2012.

The PRSC was in an alliance with the People's Force party in the 2020 presidential elections, and won six seats in the senate and six in the chamber of deputies.

Background and formation

Long-time politician Joaquín Balaguer was the last figurehead president of Rafael Trujillo's dictatorship (1930–1961) in the Dominican Republic. Following Trujillo's assassination, Belaguer struggled to enact reforms and repair international relations while preventing the country from sliding into civil war between the communists and the trujillistas. Balaguer headed an internationally recognized caretaker Council of State in 1962 but resigned when the military opened fire upon demonstrators. A military coup d'état followed and Balaguer went into exile.

Juan Bosch became the first freely elected president in 1962, but was overthrown several months later in a military coup, and by 1965 the country fell into civil war. Balaguer created the Reformist Party (Spanish: Partido Reformista) and returned with the backing of the United States (which occupied the country) for the 1966 general election.

The Reformist Party's ideology and doctrine was largely undefined, following Balaguer's orders. Balaguer campaigned as a moderate conservative, advocating gradual reforms. The party remained in power through three presidential terms (1966–1978) known domestically as "The Twelve Years".[5]

After falling from power in the 1978 elections, Balaguer sought to integrate christian democratic theory into the party, and consulted with the Venezuelan Social Christian Party. In 1985, the Reformists merged with the Social Christian Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Social Cristiano, PRSC), which had lost official party eligibility due to poor performance in the 1978 elections.[5] The PRSC had been founded in 1962 by a group of exiles that included Alfonso Moreno Martinez, Mario Read Vittini, and Caonabo Javier Castillo.[5]

History and policies

The new party was named the Social Christian Reformist Party (Partido Reformista Social Cristiano, also PRSC). It was dominated by Balaguer's personality and lacked a coherent strategy or philosophy other than his conservative tendencies.[5]

The party won the presidency and both houses of Congress in 1986, and a more modest victories in 1990 and 1994.

The PRSC declined rapidly following Balaguer's death in 2002. After the mid-2000s the party was relegated to being a junior partner of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) or the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).

The party formed an alliance with the Modern Revolutionary Party, the Grand National Alliance and others for the 2006 elections, taking a distant third place. The party supported the Dominican Municipal League candidate in the 2008 presidential election, who came in a distant third place with less than 5% of the votes.

In the 2010 legislative elections, the party had a partial alliance with the PLD in almost all provinces and won 4 senators (3 within the alliance) and 8 deputies (5 within the alliance). The PRSC supported the PLD candidate in the 2012 presidential elections, which was the first time the party did not run its own candidate.

The party allied with the People's Force party in the 2020 elections.[6]

The PRSC has attempted to reorganize itself with internal party discipline, reforming its management bodies, recruiting younger people, and attempting to expand its direct enrolment. They have had strong internal struggles, but they have proven to be an organization that achieves consensus, integration and the unity of the members who follow internal party discipline.

List of party presidents
  1. Joaquín Balaguer (1963–2002)
  2. Quique Antún (2005–2009, 2014–present)
  3. Carlos Morales Troncoso (2009–2014)

Electoral history

Presidential elections
Election Party candidate Votes % Result
1966 Joaquín Balaguer 775,805 57.7% Elected Y
1970 707,136 57.2% Elected Y
1974 942,726 84.7% Elected Y
1978 711,878 43.0% Lost N
1982 706,951 38.6% Lost N
1986 877,378 41.6% Elected Y
1990 678,065 35.35% Elected Y
1994 1,275,460 43.3% Elected Y
1996 Jacinto Peynado Garrigosa 435,504 15.0% Lost N
2000 Joaquín Balaguer 785,926 24.60% Lost N
2004 Eduardo Estrella 312,493 8.7% Lost N
2008 Amable Aristy 187,645 4.59% Lost N
2012 Supported Danilo Medina (PLD) 2,323,150 51.21% Elected Y
2016 Supported Luis Abinader (PRM) 1,613,222 34.98% Lost N
2020 Supported Leonel Fernández (FP) 365,212 8.90% Lost N

Congressional elections
Election Chamber of Deputies Senate
Votes % Seats +/– Position Seats +/– Position
1966 759,889 56.4%
48 / 91
 48 1st
22 / 27
 22 1st
1970 653,565 52.8%
45 / 91
 3 1st
21 / 27
 1 1st
1974 929,112 89.8%

in alliance with MNJ
86 / 91
 26 1st
27 / 27
 6 1st
1978 692,146 42.1%
43 / 91
 32 2nd
11 / 27
 12 2nd
1982 656,904 36.4%
50 / 120
 7 2nd
10 / 27
 1 2nd
1986 877,830 41.6%

in alliance with PQD and PNVC
56 / 120
 6 1st
21 / 30
 11 1st
1990 663,127 34.6%
41 / 120
 15 1st
16 / 30
 5 1st
1994 1,160,405 39.1%

in alliance with PDP
50 / 120
 9 2nd
14 / 30
 2 2nd
1998 351,347 16.8%

in alliance with PQD
17 / 149
 33 3rd
2 / 30
 12 3rd
2002 556,431 24.4%

in alliance with PPC
36 / 150
 19 3rd
2 / 30
 2nd
2006 326,893 10.93%

as part of GNA
22 / 178
 14 3rd
3 / 32
 1 3rd
2010 203,729 6.15%
11 / 183
 11 3rd
4 / 32
 1 3rd
2016 393,125 9.16%
18 / 190
 7 3rd
1 / 32
 3 3rd
2020
6 / 190
 12
6 / 32
 5

References
  2. "Dominican Republic - Joaquín Balaguer, 1966-78". CountryStudies.
  3. "Elections and Events 1970-1989". Library UCSD. May 16, 2020.
  4. "Dominican Republic (1902-present)". UCA.EDU.
  5. Ameringer, Charles D. (1992). Political Parties of the Americas, 1980s to 1990s. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 257. ISBN 9780313274183.
  6. "PRSC en pleitos con su aliado, la Fuerza del Pueblo". Diario Libre NewsPaper. July 5, 2020.
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