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Daily News - 4 January 2000
Tender to build first line of Santo Domingo metro
The Ministry of Public Works announced the international firms that have pre-qualified to participate in the tender for the first line of the Santo Domingo Metro. Alstom, Bombardier, Siemens, Caf-Necso-Dimetronic-elecnor, S.A., Adtranz, Ratheon and Fiat Ferroviaria have been invited to pick up the final specifications of the tender from today through 12 January. The bids will be received up to 15 February at noon. The first 11-kilometer stretch of the Santo Domingo will be built up along the John F. Kennedy Avenue through Padre Castellanos, that is from Km. 9 of the Duarte Highway to the start of the Puente Francisco del Rosario Sánchez across Ozama River. The first line is expected to cost US$130 million and slated to transport 12,000 to 15,000 passengers per hour. The government has announced the French government has offered to finance the construction of the metro.
Foreign universities want to open in Santo Domingo
The Costa Rican higher management educational center, INCAE (Instituto de Capacitación Educativa) is one of three foreign universities interested in opening in Santo Domingo, the Consejo Nacional de Educación Superior confirmed. Jacqueline Malagón, speaking for UNAPEC and Miguel Rosado, rector of the state university, UASD, both recommended that the foreign universities instead form alliances with local universities. INCAE has ties with the University of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Rosado rejected the installation of the foreign universities in the DR, saying that the UASD has tried for years to open a branch in New York City confronting numerous obstacles.
Come mid January, it's politics again
As of mid January (following the Three Kings Day long weekend), politics will dominate the headline news stories through the 16 May election and the expected 30 June second round to elect the next president of the Dominican Republic. Hipólito Mejía of the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano continues to lead in popularity in the polls, followed by Danilo Medina of the ruling Partido de la Liberación Dominicana. The PRSC has yet to formalize the expected registration of former seven-time president Joaquín Balaguer as that party's candidate. Ninety-three-year old Balaguer has conditioned his running to the condition of his health. The party has slated its convention for 15 January. Regardless of whether he runs or not, Balaguer commands enough votes to make the difference in who wins the presidential election in the likely case that a second round is necessary.
Ultima Hora political analyst Hector Marte Pérez says that the questions that are remaining to be answered in the following weeks are:
Will Balaguer accept to run for his party? Who will be his running mate?
Will the party that has won the most elections (the PRSC) make a comeback and skip ahead to make it to the second round, passing the PLD? Will Balaguer be able to unify those that are pro-PRD and the pro-PLD within his party?
Who will Danilo Medina of the PLD choose as running mate?
Will Santo Domingo senator, Milagros Ortiz Bosch, remain to the end Hipólito Mejia's running mate?
Will Dominicans vote with one or two cédulas (voting and ID cards)? The Junta Central Electoral (JCE) is behind its deadline to issue the new cédulas to Dominican voters. In its last report, the JCE says that 2,791,164 citizens of 3,813 million persons, have the document in hand. The deadline is 31 January 2000.
Which parties will ally for the second round?
Danilo-Peynado formula for the PLD ticket?
The secretary general of the ruling Partido de la Liberación Dominicana, José Tomás Pérez favors the choosing of former Vice President Jacinto Peynado as running mate to PLD presidential candidate Danilo Medina. Peynado was Vice President in the 1994-1996 government of former President Joaquín Balaguer. He was also the PRSC candidate in the 1996 presidential election. In that election, the PRSC party leader, Joaquín Balaguer gave his support to Leonel Fernández of the PLD. Pérez feels that a Danilo-Peynado ticket would be strong enough to win the election in a first round. Peynado has not commented on the suggestion. Peynado is the strongest alternate candidate of the PRSC in the case Joaquín Balaguer decides not to run as the presidential candidate of the PRSC. Pérez said that Peynado would need to have the endorsement of Balaguer. Both the PLD and the PRD covet the endorsement of Balaguer, which political analysts say could make the difference.
Drunk police agent kills a police major
A drunk police agent killed Major Tinircie Pérez y Pérez in a confusing incident at the Quisqueya Ball Park, following a ball game, on Sunday night. Non-uniformed Marcos Adames Hernández fired against Major Pérez y Pérez when he interceded in a fight the police agent maintained with other unidentified persons. Major Pérez y Pérez, an Interpol and Drug Control Department officer, had been suspended after the San Francisco de Macorís district attorney accused him of extortion following a drug raid in Castillo. Pérez y Pérez was not on duty when he was killed, trying to avoid that others be injured. The Police has ordered an investigation of the incident.
4% of adult population carries weapons
Francisco Domínguez Brito, District Attorney, expressed his concern for the high number of adults in possession of weapons. Roxana Reyes, of his office, corroborated that 4% of the Dominican adult population is in possession of weapons, or 80,000 persons. The Ministry of Interior and Police has 315,000 weapons registered, not including those that are illegal. Of these 200,000 are in private hands, including those handled by private watchmen.
Samana project to restart
Promoter Juan Francisco Bancalari Brugal said that the largest tourism development ever to be underway in the northeastern province of Samana will recommence construction this month. The RD$4,000 million project was suspended when constructors were accused of causing environmental damage. The project calls for the construction of 1,500 hotel rooms, a marina, a dock, an artificial lake and the expansion of the Hotel Cayacoa. It was started on 15 May 1999 in the presence of President Leonel Fernández.
Dominican Food Festival in London
A Dominican Gastronomic Festival will be held 25 January to 4 February of this year at the Mayfair Inter-Continental Hotel of London. In addition to the presentation of Dominican gourmet dishes made with local ingredients, there will be cigar-rolling, merengue dancing and arts and crafts sales. The Ministry of Tourism coordinates the event.
Barshnikov to build his villa in Punta Cana
Mikhail Baryshnikov announced he will start construction of a RD$15 million villa in Punta Cana in the Los Corales project. The project is a Julio Iglesias and Oscar de la Renta development, in coordination with the Punta Cana Group. The Punta Cana Group has sponsored the Punta Cana Beach Resort, Punta Cana Marina, Punta Cana International Airport, and the Club Med Punta Cana.
Teletubbies, Pokémon and Barbie are best sellers
Teletubbies (for up to 3 year olds), Pokémon (for 4-12 year olds) and Barbie (for 3-14 year olds) were the best-selling toys this Christmas and now again for the Three Kings celebration on Thursday, 6 January (the holiday is on Monday, 10 January). News reports say that Nintendos and Play Station are other big sellers.
American Ballet Theater in Santo Domingo
A select troupe from The American Ballet Theater has scheduled presentations on the 14th and 15th of January at the National Theater and the Gran Teatro del Cibao in a benefit for the state cancer institute, the Instituto Oncológico. Irina Dvorenko, Carmen Corella, Marcelo Gómez, Maxim Belotserkovsky, Giuseppe Picone Yan Chen and Angel Corella have been announced. Angel Corella is the lead dancer of the American Ballet Theater.
Understanding opera
The National Theater is announcing the start of a course on opera. "400 years of opera" will be given by Maestro Antonio Braga. Admission to the course is free. The course opens 12 January 2000 and ends 14 February 2000. It will take place at the Sala de la Cultura of the National Theater from 8 to 10 pm.
Dominican best-selling books
The best sellers in the Dominican Republic are books that analyze Dominican history in an informative, narrative or testimonial manner. The best sellers last year were:
1. Juan Jose Ayuso: "Todo por Trujillo. An analysis of the military forces and the political process since 1930. (Colección Rumbo, Editorial AA).
2. Joaquín Balaguer: "Grecia Eterna" (Editora Corripio).
3. José Almoina: "Una satrapia en el Caribe". The story of the infamous personal life of Dictator Trujillo. (Editora Cole).
4. Miguel Guerrero: "Al borde del caos". The unwritten story of the 1978 electoral crisis. (Editora Corripio).
5. Candido Gerón: "Juan Bosch, la traición a un símbolo." The story of the 1996 electoral crisis. (Editora Centenario).
6. Eduardo García Michel: "30 de mayo. Trujillo ajusticiado." The story of the assassination of Dictator Trujillo. (Susaeta). 7. Frak Moya Pons: "Breve Historia Contemporánea de la República Dominicana." A brief contemporary history of the DR. (Fondo de Cultura Econónomica. Mexico). 8. Victor Grimaldi: "Tumbaron al Jefe." Los Estados Unidos en el derrocamiento de Trujillo. (Amigo del Hogar). A story of the toppling of Trujillo.
9. Julia Alvarez: "!Yo!". (Alfaguara)
10. Marcio Veloz Magiolo: "Uña y Carne. Memorias de la virilidad". (Editora Cole).
Aguilas lead at the start of Baseball round-robin
Playoffs standings as of Sunday, 2 January 2000
Aguilas 2-0 (.1000)
Tigres 1-1 (.500) ­1 game
Leones 1-1 (.500) ­1 game
Estrellas 0-2 (.000) ­2 game

Tuesday, 4 January 2000, 8 pm games
Santo Domingo: Estrellas vs. Licey
Santiago: Escogido vs. Aguilas
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