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Daily News - 29 March 2000
UN alerts to effects of population increase
The United Nations Fund for Population estimates that by year 2010, the population in the Dominican Republic will have increased to 9.7 million. At the end of last year, the population of the Dominican Republic was 8.3 million. By year 2025, the UN sets the Dominican population at 11.2 million, 50% when compared to the present population.
Furthermore, the organization forecasts the DR will double its population in 32 years.
Dominican population in 1950 was 2.1 million, which means that in the past 50 years, the number of inhabitants has quadrupled. This high population high growth situation contrasts with Cuba, which will need 100 years to double its population.
Data contained in a report from the "Population Reference Bureau" indicates that the DR has one of the highest birth rates in the Caribbean, or 2.7 births per 100 people. Only Grenada (2.9 births) and Haiti (3.4 births) have higher birth rates in the Caribbean. Birth control only covers 64% of women in marital or consensual union.
Gilka Meléndez, speaking for the organization, told Hoy newspaper that social inequity, high population density, lack of urban planning, an alarming growth rate and migration will leave marks on the DR.
Meléndez, speaking during a population workshop organized by the Consejo Nacional de Población y Familia, with the support of the United Nations, alerted to the importance of making decisions now. She alerted to the effects of population growth. She pointed out that while the DR still has a relatively low density of 170 inhabitants per square kilometer, its neighbor Haiti has a density of 279 inhabitants per square kilometer. "That is why the Dominican government needs to establish what the country wants: if it wants immigrants, what kind and for which labor sector."
Congress receives comprehensive immigration overhaul bill
President Leonel Fernandez has sent the Congress the draft of new legislation that would overhaul the existing patchwork of nebulous immigration laws and regulations and fortify the regulatory agency. As proposed, the bill would govern immigration, emigration, residence, citizenship, transit through national territory, temporary and permanent worker status, and requirements governing the status of returning Dominicans.
The omnibus bill, which consists of 250 articles divided into 33 sections contemplates the establishment of a new entity with teeth, the National Immigration Commission, to replace the General Immigration Office, which has been subject to much criticism concerning its feeble enforcement of migrant labor laws. The Commission will comprise ranking officials from the Foreign Affairs, Armed Forces, Labor, Tourism, and Interior Ministries.
The bill's underlying concept is "planned migration," and contemplates new requisites for establishing temporary and permanent residence, as well as the conditions for moving from the former to the latter status. In addition, it would create the basis for granting temporary and permanent employment permits. The bill also seeks to regulate movements across the porous 400-kilometer border with Haiti. A comprehensive fee structure is also proposed as well as criteria for refusal of admission, deportation, expulsion, extradition as these relate to infractions of Dominican law and migratory procedure.
Postal codes for Santo Domingo
The National Postal Office announced that the city will soon begin to implement a modern postal code system. The system will serve to expedite distribution of letters, but will also help to organize the city. Pending for the actual implementation is that the President issues a decree to the effect. An educational campaign is planned to help explain to Dominicans the benefits and how to use it.
Eugenio Enrique Disla of the post office said that the new system will bring relief to situations such as two streets with the same name and streets without names. "This code is so precise that we can combine it with the numbers of our houses," he said. "There are more than 10 million combinations to this code that starts in 0," he explained.
90% of accidents caused by rules violation
The Department of Transit of the National Police told the Listín Diario that 90% of the accidents that occur in the DR are due to drivers breaking the rules. Colonel Rafael Guillermo Fermín said that about 60 accidents occur per day in the DR, with an average of two deaths in Santo Domingo and four to seven nationwide. He said most common errors are not stopping at a stop sign, zig zag crossing of lanes, lack of use of seat belts, transporting children in the front seat, drunk driving, speed racing, parking in prohibited places, and reckless driving in general.
The areas where most accidents occur in Santo Domingo are the corners of:
Duarte/Paris, Abraham Lincoln/Romulo Betancourt, Abraham Lincoln/27 de Febrero, Winston Churchill/Roberto Pastoriza, Isabel Aguiar/27 de Febrero. He said that motorcyclists are involved in 70% of the accidents.
He said the new focus of the Police today is on preventing accidents. He said that the days when agents bought the right to stand on corners and collect tips for not taking in those who committed traffic violations are over.
He announced that soon the Police will have an Internet presence, and that the Police will soon start drivers' education radio program.
RD$224 million for political campaigning
The Junta Central Electoral, the body in charge of the presidential election in the DR, gave out RD$224 million yesterday to help finance political campaigns.
The money was distributed as follows:
Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (PRD) RD$78.421,934.61
Partido de la Liberación Dominicana (PLD) RD$63,984,852.55
Partido Reformista Social Cristiano (PRSC) RD$30,444,563.37
Partido Unidad Democrática (UD) RD$6,546,295.17
Partido Revolucionario Independiente (PRI) RD$5,250,989.90
Bloque Institucional Socialdemócrata (BIS) RD$4,794,911.43
Partido Quisqueyano Democrata (PQD) RD$4,239,815.56
Partido Nacional de Veteranos y Civiles (PNVC) RD$3,928,959.19
Alianza Social Dominicana (ASD) RD$3,909,514.83
Partido Demócrata Popular (PDP) RD$3,792,848.67
Partido Nueva Alternativa (PNA) RD$3,737,184.75
Partido Renacentista Nacional (PRN) RD$3,737,184.75
Movimiento Independencia, Unidad y Cambio (MIUCA) RD$3,737,184.75
Movimiento de Unidad e Integración Dominicana (UNIDO) RD$3,737,194.75
Partido de los Trabajadores Dominicanos (PTD) RD$3,737,184.75
Partido Popular Cristiano (PPC) RD$231,169,97
Balaguer leads Medina in Gallup poll
The Rumbo newsweekly magazine/Gallup Poll released today shows that if elections were held today, the placement of the three leading presidential candidates would be as follows:
Hipólito Mejía (PRD) 44%, Joaquín Balaguer (PRSC) 26%, and Danilo Medina (PLD) 25%. 4% of voters said they did not know whom they would vote for.
Since to win the presidential election, 50%+1 of the vote is needed, the second place is essential. Some polls have shown 94-year old Balaguer in the second place, while others show Medina. In 1996, today President Fernández (PLD), who placed second in that year's first electoral round, won the election when supported by third-place winning PRSC voters in a second round.
The Dominican Constitution bans consecutive presidential re-election.
OAS team will observe May elections
Representatives of the Organization of American States (OAS) announced yesterday that it is sending a full-scale election observer mission to monitor the national elections scheduled for May 16th. The announcement followed a meeting between a three-person OAS advance team and President Leonel Fernandez held in the Presidential Palace. The team included Cristina Tomassoni, the OAS's "elections expert."
Later in the day, meetings were held with Ramon Morel Cerda, president of the Central Elections Board and his staff.
The OAS team held the first of three visits with the major presidential contenders when it met with Hipolito Mejia, presidential candidate of the PRD party.
Rich steal more power than the poor, says distributor
The leading private power distributor in the Dominican Republic, Unión Fenosa said that they have detected that there is more evasion on behalf of wealthy consumers than by poor consumers. Two Union Fenosa affiliates Edenorte and Edesur distribute most of the power sold in the DR. Company spokesperson Yolanda Souto said that they have detected 375,000 illegal connections. Interestingly, she says that the company loses millions because of fraud committed by homes that have illegal connections for air-conditioners and water heaters.
Buyers market for luxury apartments
A former president of the Asociación de Empresas Inmobiliarias, Francisco Muñiz Pou alerted there is a saturation of the local real estate market with luxury towers. In other words, prices of high rise deluxe apartments could start declining as developers scrimmage to download the units. Muñiz said that there are more apartments in the RD$5-RD$7 million price range than there is demand.
Opposition to village construction sent to Supreme Court
Former ministers of Sports, Luis Scheker Ortiz and Jesús de la Rosa deposited a document in the Supreme Court that impugns Decree 241 of 21 November 1999 that declares of public utility the lot on which the Pan American Olympic Village would be built at San Martín corner Máximo Gómez. They say that declaring the lot of public utility is contrary to the Constitution.
The private firm Mercalia was the owner of the lot. The state received the lot in exchange for government shares in the Sociedad Industrial Dominicana. The SID was later sold to Unilever.
Scheker and De la Rosa say that the construction of the villa is a commercial venture that will not benefit the collectivity nor provide social assistance. On the contrary, they say, it will benefit private and particular interests.
They say a private company had offered to pay the government RD$400 million for the lot. They denied that the organizers of the 2003 Pan American Games have a commitment to build the villa on that site.
The government has started the groundwork for the apartments. News reports indicate that the Spanish-Dominican consortium OHL-Alpha was chosen for the construction of eight towers of 23 floors each. The company was responsible for building the Olympic Village of the Barcelona 1992 Olympics.
The construction of the Olympic village on the chosen site has been a controversial issue, especially as of late. Realtors say the lot is more appropriate for commercial purposes, and it is unlikely buyers will be found for the deluxe apartments the Ministry of Public works has plans to build in time for the Pan Am Games. See http://www.dr1.com/daily/news032000.shtml
Affluent driver forgot his pants
A group of adolescent girls were startled into screaming flight when a man, clad only in an unbuttoned jacket, dismounted from his Range Rover in front of them. The incident took place in front of the Diamond Mall, an upscale shopping center on the periphery of one of Santo Domingo's most fashionable neighborhoods. The mother of one of the girls, Nani Martínez, an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that as she and her daughter and friends were leaving a restaurant, "a gray-haired man in his 50's" stepped out of his luxurious vehicle totally naked from the waist down. "He wore an unbuttoned jacket, and nothing else." Several employees of nearby shops responded to the girls' screams, and chased the man back to his jeep, in which quickly sped away.
National Symphony Orchestra performance tonight
The second half of the National Symphony Orchestra 1999-2000 season continues at the National Theater in Santo Domingo.
The next presentations is:
Wednesday, 29 March
Night of Chamber Music.
Tchaikovsky, Chavez, Wagner and Bizet.
Cattle, farm and industrial fair opens at Feria Ganadera
The nation's leading exhibition of cattle ranching, farming and industrial production opened this Saturday, 25 March. The fair continues through 2 April at the Feria Ganadera on the Malecón. The Feria Nacional Agropecuaria, Industrial, Educativa y Ecológica 2000 is a sale-exhibition of local produce. A new attraction this year is a flower producers competition.
Furniture exhibition
The Dominican Fiesta Hotel will be hosting Expo Muebles Internacional 2000, the largest exhibition of furniture in the DR. The event opens tonight and is scheduled for 29 March-2 April. Participation of furniture manufacturers from the Dominican Republic, France, Canada, US, Italy, China, Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Central America and the Caribbean.
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