ABSTRACT
In 1996, Leonel Fernandez Reyna became president of the Dominican Republic in the second round of what were the fairest elections in modern Dominican history. Born in the Dominican Republic, but raised in the United States, he is an excellent example of a new "transnational Dominican community." Haitian invasions, which continued during the first two decades of Dominican independence, highlighted the importance of the two caudillos, who controlled the militias in the Dominican Republic. President Fernandez's government considered empowering the judicial system and increasing the accountability of the police to be priorities; however, it is too soon to say that there has been any significant change. The 1996, 1998, and 2000 elections were undisputed by the main candidates, and it appears that the Central Electoral Board has finally figured out an appropriate and fair way of registering voters and ensuring that their names appear at the proper voting stations.
