DR1 Daily News - Tuesday, 12 September 2017

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Plea for agreement on Political Parties Bill
JCE proposes Dominicans build hospitals in Haiti and civil registry
Plea to modify Labor Code to allow more foreign workers
Reaching out to help Dominican expats victims of Hurricane Irma
Beato, the Dominican cameraman-celebrity that Irma created
COE removes all storm alerts
Punta Catalina flooding doesn’t affect construction, says general manager
Back to school
Protests in Puerto Plata
Flights still cancelled
Cell phone contraband uncovered
Hurricane José weakens
DR loses to Slovenia in volleyball, next plays Argentina
Juego de Navajas at Casa de Teatro
Pablo Alborán announces Dominican concert date



Plea for agreement on Political Parties Bill
The president of the Central Electoral Court (JCE), Julio César Castaños Guzmán, has called on the national political leaders to enter into a frank dialogue to reach to a consensus so that the Bill of Political Parties can be approved in time for the 2020 general elections. He said that the leaders of each party should come to an agreement now.

He reminded that the 2020 elections would be very complicated as the presidential elections would be held separately from the congressional and municipal ones, and it would be ideal if the bill could be passed before the end of 2018 to avoid major problems.

Castaños Guzmán estimates that if simultaneous primaries by the 26 political parties are held using the JCE voting list, it will cost the JCE an additional RD$4.8 billion that would have to be added to the JCE budget. He said if the simultaneous primary ruling is only required for the four largest political parties, the cost would be RD$2.8 billion. He said there are 7.4 million Dominicans eligible to vote.

Castaños criticized that the delay in the approval of the bill is because the political parties want to adjust the bill to the individual conveniences of their political candidates and not to the collective interest.

https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...nsenso-para-aprobar-ley-de-partidos-CY8133554
http://eldia.com.do/julio-cesar-castanos-critica-quieran-ajustar-ley-de-partidos-a-candidaturas/


JCE proposes Dominicans build hospitals in Haiti and civil registry
The president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) Julio César Castaños Guzmán, says that the best investment the Dominican Republic could make from a strategic standpoint is to help Haiti undertake its civil registry through the Organization of American States (OAS). Guzman made the remarks during an interview on the TV program Hoy Mismo, with Dany Alcántara, Oscar Medina and Luisín Mejía, as reported in El Nacional. Most Haitians living in Haiti are undocumented, a situation that causes major problems for the Dominican Republic given the continuing flow of immigrants.

Castaños Guzmán said that technically the JCE is prepared to assist Haiti in carrying out its registry, but it does not have the financial resources to take on the responsibility.

Castaños Guzmán also proposes that the Dominican government build hospitals in Haiti, from a humanitarian standpoint and offer at these hospitals, free birthing services to Haitian women in Haiti so they do not need to cross the border to receive free services in Dominican hospitals. Haitians cross the border to seek free hospital services in emergency rooms in the Dominican Republic, and the flow is such it is now a major burden on the Dominican health budget.

At the Haitian hospitals, civil registry offices could operate to document the births, says Guzmán Castaños. He said that since the instatement of the Foreigners’ Birth Registration Book in the Dominican Republic in 2007, only 85,000 births have been registered. He understands there have been many more births than the official statistics have accounted for. The book was instated so as to register foreign births as having taken place here, while these did not qualify for Dominican citizenship at birth.

In a 2013, during the 5th Summit of Caribbean Heads of Government and State, President Danilo Medina offered then President Michel Martelly the installations and infrastructure necessary for that country to document its nationals. The DR at the time had changed the equipment used for documenting Dominicans and offered the old yet working equipment to Haiti. Haiti did not accept the donation. This would have expedited the legalization process of around 200,000 Haitian workers living in the Dominican Republic. At the time, the OAS also offered its collaboration.


Plea to modify Labor Code to allow more foreign workers
The Association of Developers and Constructor of Homes in the Cibao (Aprocovici), has asked the government to modify the Labor Code to increase the percentage of foreign labor that businesses are legally allowed to contract. The Labor Code establishes 80% Dominican and 20% foreign labor.

Aprocovici president, Nicolás Polanco, says that historically the reality is that construction work in the country is carried out by immigrants especially in the area of laying blocks, carpentry, plastering and others.

Polanco complained that the inspectors from the Ministry of Labor are constantly fining the construction companies for not complying with the foreign percentages established in the current law.

https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...ar-el-80-20-en-el-codigo-de-trabajo-XJ8128505


Reaching out to help Dominican expats victims of Hurricane Irma
The Foundation for the Integral Development of Dominicans Abroad (Fundodex) is appealing to the solidarity of Dominicans to help expats that suffered major losses in the Caribbean. This primarily means those that were living in Barbuda, St. Martin, Sint Maarten, St. John and St. Thomas, British Virgin Islands, Turks & Caicos, Cuba, among other islands.

Overseas deputy Adelys Olivares (PRM), who is president of Fundodex, said they are following the reports of the storm in Florida to also provide assistance.

She said that Dominicans on the island of Sint Maarten are the most affected. She said she spoke with community leader Jose de la Rosa and with Dominican expat Francia Arrendel who told her the situation was very difficult. She said Dominicans in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, have lost everything and are requesting a plane to be sent to bring them back to the Dominican Republic.

Olivares said that Cristobal Frances, president of the Club Dominicano 8 de Marzo in the US Virgin Islands said they are relocating several injured Dominicans to Puerto Rico and St. Croix for medical attention.

Olivares says there are five Dominicans in Barbuda where there is no communication. She requested President Medina send a plane to retrieve Dominicans who wish to return to country.

She recalled that the Dominican diaspora in the Caribbean islands had assisted Puerto Plata when the north coast was affected by intense rains earlier this year and now they need a helping hand.

She said the people in the islands need canned food, clothing, medicines, mattresses, sheets, shoes, mosquito nets and construction materials to rebuild.

Those interested in contributing can call: 809-669-8970 and 809-535-2626; or her assistant Inocencio Madé at 809-704-2224.
http://eldia.com.do/solicitan-ayuda-para-dominicanos-damnificados-en-islas-del-caribe-por-irma/
http://acento.com.do/2017/actualida...a-envia-alimentos-agua-ciudadanos-san-martin/


Beato, the Dominican cameraman-celebrity that Irma created
Dominican AN7 TV Channel cameraman Jose Antonio Beato became an instant celebrity after a video showing him doing his job of capturing images of the raging sea in Nagua on 7 September at the height of the storm went viral.

The voice of his colleague, Leonardo Mercedes makes the video more dramatic. Dominicans were prompt to give content from the video a comic slant in a handful of memes and even variations of a “Netflix” documentary on his life.

Beato would go on to be interviewed by the Listin Diario and the moment event was picked up by CNN and transmitted around the world.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2017/09/09/481653/beato-yo-no-note-el-peligro
http://edition.cnn.com/videos/weather/2017/09/08/irma-waves-almost-knock-down-cameraman.cnn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjvduWDbGbQ


COE removes all storm alerts
The Committee for Emergency Operations issued a final bulletin on Monday, 11 September 1017, removing all storm alerts for the Dominican Republic.

Nevertheless, as of Sunday, 10 September 2017 there were still 422,761 people without drinking water since Hurricane Irma left 28 aqueducts out of service.

According to Ramón Batista, director of operations of the National Institute of Drinking Water (Inapa), during the hurricane 58 water storage systems were affected, which caused a lack of service to a million and a half people across the country. The aqueducts still out of service as of Sunday were located in Santiago, Duarte, Santiago Rodríguez, Valverde, Azua, Peravia, Independencia and Bahoruco.

http://listindiario.com/la-republic...422000-sin-agua-potable-por-salida-acueductos
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/las-aguas-mantienen-a-cinco-comunidades-incomunicadas-XI8138231


Punta Catalina flooding doesn’t affect construction, says general manager
Punta Catalina executives say the recent rains brought by Hurricane Irma have not affected the construction of the thermoelectric central. Jaime Aristy Escuder, general manager, said the plant is prepared to bear the brunt of any storm. He said that the video that circulated on social media showed flooding that occurred at the lower part of the site where the power plant is located that is six meters below the power plant.

On Monday, 11 September 2017, Aristy hosted a tour of journalists so they could see for themselves that the construction at the plant site continued. He said that the coal deposits are located 14 meters above sea level.

The National Committee against Climate Change (CNLCC) had called for the executive vice president of the Public Electricity Corporation (CDEEE) Ruben Jimenez Bichara to explain the flooding at the Punta Catalina plant. The committee says this is the second major flooding affecting the plant, with the first being on 29 April 2017. The CNLCC says the flooding is proof the site for the plant is inadequate.
“From an engineering standpoint what is happening in Punta Catalina is disappointing and unacceptable for an investment of around two billion dollars," the Committee said.

The committee says the vulnerability of the site was mentioned in the environmental impact report deposited by the CDEEE at the Ministry of Environment.

The committee asks what would happen if a major hurricane would affect the area, which cannot be discarded in the next years. The CNLCC says that the flooding is evidence of the vulnerability of the power plant upon which 40% of the supply of electricity in the country will depend on. “This should generate grave alarms as to what it means for energy security in the country,” states the CNLCC.

https://noticiassin.com/2017/09/llu...rmoelectrica-punta-catalina-segun-ejecutivos/
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...iones-recurrentes-en-punta-catalina-AI8129244


Back to school
Education Minister Andres Navarro has called on parents across the country to send their children back to school, as classes officially reopened on Monday, 11 September 2017, following the passing of Hurricane Irma. He said all schools had reopened, including those that needed repairs and those that were used as shelters.

Navarro had toured some of the affected schools in Nagua and Duarte province. At these he instructed the National Institute of Student Welfare to provide uniforms, shoes and school materials to those students who had lost their belongings in the flooding.

Navarro said that he had 43 brigades working on the schools that were affected in order that they could reopen on Monday, and that the conditions, although only basic in some schools, were still adequate for classroom instruction.

El Nacional reported that the call back to school was successful with a massive turnout at public and private schools nationwide.

http://elnacional.com.do/andres-navarro-llama-a-asistir-masivamente-a-clases-manana-lunes/
http://elnacional.com.do/reanudan-las-clases-con-gran-asistencia/


Protests in Puerto Plata
Tired of waiting for the electricity, water and cable TV to be restored after Hurricane Irma, residents in Puerto Plata province have been protesting and blocking traffic. The protests began last Friday 8 September 2017 in the sectors of Nuevo Renacer (Aguas Negras), El Javillar, Residencial Florida, Las Mercedes, San Marcos, Ensanche Dubeau (Los Callejones), Cristo Rey, Mirador Sur and Luperón.
In the community of Las Avispas in the municipal district of Maimón, residents burned tires and blocked the Puerto Plata-Navarrete road with tree trunks.

In Cabarete, specifically in the El Callejon de La Loma sector the protestors were dispersed by members of the police discharged their weapons in the air and used teargas. One teenager was reportedly was shot in the leg during protest.

In La Union in Sosua, residents complained they had not had piped water for over two weeks, along with residents in San Antonio and Cerro Isabel in the community of San Marcos in Puerto Plata.

http://eldia.com.do/con-quema-de-go...ica-agua-potable-y-telecable-en-puerto-plata/


Flights still cancelled
Commercial flights to and from the Dominican Republic are still facing problems due to Hurricane Irma.
At Las Americas International Airport yesterday, 11 September 2017, flights were cancelled to and from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando in Florida, USA, and St. Martin.
At the Gregorio Luperon International Airport in Puerto Plata flights to Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida were cancelled.

http://almomento.net/vuelos-comerciales-desde-y-hacia-rd-siguen-confrontando-problemas/


Cell phone contraband uncovered
The Custom’s Agency (DGA) has found and confiscated a shipment of 8,381 cell phones of different models and brands that were being smuggled into the country. The shipment is estimated to be worth RD$300 million.

In a press release, the DGA detailed that the operation was using fake documentation to avoid paying duty. The imports were being passed through as if they components for a free zone industry.

At the press conference, the director general of Customs, Enrique A. Ramírez Paniagua, said that the contraband operation was detected on last Friday, 8 September at the Las Americas International Airport. In the shipment, five rifles and three pistols were also found.

Ramirez Paniagua said that it was a case of fraud and that the Public Prosecution Service had been informed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The shipment of cell phones, firearms and hundreds of parts for telephones arrived in six pallets addressed to the duty free industry “Auxiliares Textiles, S. A.” The pallet was identified as textiles only. However, the Custom’s official noticed the unusual method of packing used in the container, alerting the officials to check the contents.

Customs agents found 2,467 Samsung Galaxy phones, 2,363 LG, 204 IPhone, 1976 Alcatel, 741 ZTE, 30 Huawei, 304 HTC, 192 Kyocera, 20 Sony Xperia and 84 Moto E4, for a total of 8,381 cell phones. In additions there were 9,524 screens for cell phones, 222 tablets, 1,553 USB memory sticks, 343 cell phone batteries, 239 chargers, 13 Smart Watches, and two security camera systems.

According to Customs Agency, the shipment arrived via the couriers Cargamar SRL. and LaserPaq SRL. The first has been suspended and the second lacks a license.

https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...as-que-entrarian-de-forma-irregular-MX8132781
http://elnacional.com.do/decomisan-contrabando-valorado-en-300-millones/


Hurricane José weakens
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Hurricane José has weakened to a category 2 storm and is in open water in the Atlantic Ocean. As of Monday, 11 September 2017, the storm was located at 410 kilometers to the north west of Grand Turk, with sustained winds of 165 miles per hour moving to the north-north east at 17 kilometers an hour.

It is expected to slow down and then move towards the northeast. While there is a slight possibility the hurricane may turn around and again move south, at the present time it does not present any danger to the Dominican Republic. US and European forecasts expect it to remain on the northeastern course.

The NHC also warns of the formation of a tropical wave to the west south west of the Cape Verde islands, which may develop over the next two days although it only has a 40% chance of developing into a hurricane over the next five days.

Follow storms in the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season as they cross by the Dominican Republic at:
http://dr1.com/forums/showthread.php/161573-hurricane-season-2017/page64


DR loses to Slovenia in volleyball, next plays Argentina
Slovenia defeated the Dominican Republic 4-1 in the continuing of the 2017 FIVB Women’s U23 World Championship in Ljubljana, Slovenia that is taking place 10-17 September 2017. The match ended 15-11, 15-9, 11-15, 19-17 and 15-11. All matches in Ljubljana are played under a new scoring system currently being tested: a best-of-seven, 15-point set format.

The Dominican team is a three-time medalist in the tournament. In the previous tournament in 2015, the DR secured the bronze medal.

The Dominican Republic is in Pool A with Slovenia, China, Egypt, Thailand and Argentina. Pool B teams are Brazil, Turkey, Bulgaria, Japan, Cuba and Kenya. The two best teams in each group will next move to a semi-final round.

The DR next plays Argentina on 12 Sept at 8pm, and China on 14 Sept at 2pm and Thailand on 15 Sept at 11am. Times are Dominican time.


Juego de Navajas at Casa de Teatro
Casa de Teatro presents the drama “Juego de Navajas,” a local adaptation by Maleducadas of the famous play by Spanish playwright Federico García Lorca, “Blood Wedding.” The play is directed by Isabel Spencer, winner of the Soberano 2016 Award for best theater director. The cast is made up by graduates of the National Drama School at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The play debuted successfully in August 2017 at the same venue. Showings will be on 14, 15, 16, 17, 21 and 22 September 2017. Tickets are for sale at Casa de Teatro in the Colonial City.


Pablo Alborán announces Dominican concert date
Spanish singer Pablo Alborán has booked a Santo Domingo stop for his 2018 world tour. The show is set for the Palacio de los Deportes at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center on 24 March 2018. The tour is to promote his new songs, “Saturno” and “No vaya a ser”.

Listen to his music at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ipg_Aof1SM