My opinion is that countries (so-called) do it all the time with IMF's blessing. The funny thing is that to me is like the blind leading the blind. IMF has lost its direction and sense of purpose, but are still trying to profile as hardliners.
I don't see DR's turn around being so much an exception, rather the reflection of increased political faith in its economy.
One of the coolest stories I read some time back was re: Thailand. If I recall the events correctly, they basically sold their debt and used the influx to spur their economy back on track. This was one of the few countries that didn't follow the Washington Consensus and as a result were relatively protected during the Asian Crisis.
Just yesterday, people were discussing the fall of India's stock exchange, among a few other emerging markets. It's something to be concerned about since it reflects the still apparant instability of these very promising markets. I hope the worldwide ramificatins are minimal.
The DR should extract the lessons learned.