Alfredo Pacheco took the oath of office for his tenth term as president of the Dominican Republic's Chamber of Deputies on Sunday, August 16.
The ceremony marked the official opening of the 2026 to 2027 legislative year. Pacheco will lead the lower house of the National Congress alongside newly appointed vice president Dharuelly D'Aza. Lawmakers Julio Emil Durán Rodríguez and Leyvi Bautista also assumed their roles as secretaries for the upcoming session.
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Dominican Republic's bicameral legislature. It works alongside the Senate to draft and pass national laws. The start of the legislative year regularly aligns with the country's Restoration Day holiday in August.
Legislative agenda and reforms
Opening the extraordinary session, Pacheco laid out an extensive legislative agenda for the new term. He said the upcoming session will feature numerous projects aimed at modernizing national regulations.
The Chamber president noted that priority will be given to overhauling the national labor code and modifying the existing social security law. He said lawmakers will also debate a new law designed to regulate digital media across the country.
The legislative schedule will also include updates to the civil code, according to Pacheco. He mentioned that a water law and a mental health law are among the other key initiatives planned for the year.
During his address, Pacheco dedicated a portion of his speech to honoring the work of former deputies Andrés Matos, who is also known as Licho, and Jorge Frías.
Chamber technology upgrades
The returning president announced that the Chamber of Deputies will implement a new electronic validation system for recording votes. He said the upgrade is necessary to adapt to new technologies, noting that the current voting system has become obsolete.
The modernization process will be managed by a private company that Pacheco described as highly prestigious. He did not identify the firm by name during the session.
Beyond the digital upgrades, Pacheco said the physical chamber will also undergo renovations. The changes will create a dedicated space for visiting government officials who are invited by lawmakers to attend sessions.
Senate leadership elections
In the upper house, Ricardo de los Santos was sworn in for his fourth consecutive term as president of the Senate. De los Santos represents the Sánchez Ramírez province in the central part of the country.
The Senate president was elected through a single slate format. He received supportive votes from 30 of his legislative colleagues during the Sunday session.
Following his swearing in, De los Santos urged the senators to continue working together to maintain their recent levels of productivity. He pointed to the approval of a new penal code as a primary achievement of the legislative session that just ended.
The Senate leader said the National Congress has broken every possible productivity record over the last few years. He gave credit for this success to the combined efforts of the 32 senators that make up the chamber, rather than attributing it to his own leadership.
Looking ahead, De los Santos said the senators are ready to begin the new legislature with a commitment to advancing the ongoing development of the Dominican Republic.
