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Daily News - 5 May 2000
Textile parity bill moves ahead in US Congress
The US House of Representatives approved the Trade and Development Act of 1999 (H.R. 434). The bill includes both Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) Enhancement and the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. The DR will be one of the countries to most benefit from the legislation. The US Senate is expected to pass the bill next week.
For more information, see
http://brief.tradecompass.com/index.asp?page=today&briefDate=20000505#topstory
Imports up 22%
The Central Bank governor, Hector Valdez Albizu said that import dollar values in the first trimester of the year were up 22%. This includes a 36% increase in raw materials (including petroleum imports), 16.7% consumer goods, and 11.7% capital goods. Petroleum imports went from US$131.5 million in 1999 to US$315.7 million in 2000.
Reducing the digital divide
President Leonel Fernández was on hand to help students at the Invivienda Santo Domingo Liceo Secundario Simón Orozco communicate by Internet with students at the Cutupú high school in La Vega. The event marked the online start of what is known as Red Educativa Dominicana (www.redom.edu.do). The program links 320 computer labs, 458 high schools and 304,654 students at Dominican public schools.
The program, a five-year US$25 million contract signed by Tricom (a local telecommunications company) with the Ministry of Education provides broadband satellite Internet access and Intranet services to every public high school in the DR. Tricom is owned in part by Grupo Financiero Nacional Corporation Ltd. (46%) and Motorola Inc (31%). Tricom is using Intellicom's (www.vsat.net) state of the art content caching technology and comprehensive family of value-added services to deliver fast and efficient end-user access to the Internet.
This program fulfills the promise made by President Leonel Fernández to provide Internet access to the DR's more than 300 public schools before the end of his term, 16 August 2000.
Each high school will enjoy the benefits of
Internet and Intranet services, allowing students and teachers at different schools to easily exchange knowledge and obtain distance-learning content that can be effectively customized and readily updated for specific grade levels or types of schools. This venture between commerce and government will enable teachers to complement existing curriculums with the most up-to-date information available.
During the inauguration of the service, President Fernández mentioned how efforts at reducing the digital divide have also been a priority of US President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Ahora poll shows PLD with comfortable lead over PRSC
Ahora Magazine-Demoscopia survey shows that Danilo Medina of the PLD has 33.2% preference of voters, versus 22% of Joaquín Balaguer of the PRSC. Hipólito Mejía of the PRD continues to lead in the preferences of votes with 44% of electoral preference. The PRD is regarded as the political party that has the most faithful voters.
The Spanish polling company carried out the survey from 14-17 April. Some 1,019 persons were interviewed nationwide.
The survey adds to the uncertainty of who will win the crucial second place slot: nonagenarian Balaguer or the ruling party's candidate Medina. Other leading surveys have shown Balaguer ahead of Medina.
For the Demoscopia poll, when voters were asked what party or candidate they thought would win the elections, they 44% responded the PRD, 29% the PLD and 22% the PRSC.
69% of Dominicans polled feel a second electoral round will be necessary.
Hamilton poll shows Balaguer could be next President
The Hamilton-Hoy newspaper survey shows that former President Joaquín Balaguer, who is 94 years old, with the support of the PLD could topple the strong candidacy of Hipólito Mejía of the PRD. According to the poll, this is not so if Danilo Medina of the PLD were to win the second position slot. The survey shows that Balaguer would win the election with 47% of the vote, versus 44% of Hipólito Mejía. Nine percent said they are still undecided. This is the first poll that shows this positive scenario for the PRSC candidate, and six-time president of the Dominican Republic.
The same survey shows that the PRD would receive 51% of the vote versus 26% of the PLD, if the PRSC would become its ally. Some 23% said they were undecided, though.
The survey says that Hipólito Mejía of the PRD would win 45% to 43% if Danilo Medina were the runner-up candidate. The poll reports 12% undecided regarding this scenario.
In Dominican politics, a candidate needs 50%+1 of the vote to win in a second round. The survey took place 27-30 April.
European vs. US polls
The polls have Danilo Medina and Joaquín Balaguer playing ping-pong for the important second position of the 16 May election. Hoy newspaper political column, "Qué se dice" points out that the surveys carried out by European companies all show PLD candidate Danilo Medina leading PRSC candidate Joaquín Balaguer in electoral preferences. On the contrary, US companies show Balaguer coming in the important second place. The European companies are Sigma Dos-Spain (Listín Diario newspaper), Demoscopia-Spain (Ahora magazine). The US companies are Hamilton Beattie & Staff (Hoy newspaper), Gallup (Rumbo magazine), and Penn, Schoen & Berland (El Siglo newspaper). Coincidence in the methods used by the Europeans and the US companies? Which survey will come closest to reality?
Hipólito says he too will meet with Balaguer
Hipólito Mejía, presidential candidate of the PRD, told journalists that he too will meet with the influential former President Joaquín Balaguer. He was referring to the meeting of President Leonel Fernández, and PLD political strategists Miguel Cocco and Temístocles Montás with the former statesman. Surveys show that if the PRD were to attract the endorsement of Balaguer, it would have enough votes to win in the first round. Mejía said that he would meet Balaguer in the next few days. Hatuey Decamps, party secretary general had announced this, following a meeting of the later with the former statesman. In 1996, Leonel Fernández won the presidency with the support of Joaquín Balaguer, who then sacrificed his party's candidate, Jacinto Peynado, who today is his running mate on the PRSC ticket.
I love you virus arrives to the Dominican Republic
The "I Love You Virus" that has shut down computer systems in the Far East, Europe and the US (Asian Wall Street Journal, British Parliament, and New York Stock Exchange, among other large institutions have been hit) has arrived to the DR. The computer virus is spread by e-mail messages titled "ILOVEYOU". Once the attachment, which is named LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.txt is launched, the virus sends copies of the same e-mail to everybody listed in the user's address book.
To be prepared, DR1 Daily readers are advised to print out the recommendations provided by Robert Woolford, DR1 webmaster, that were published on the DR1 Message Board once the virus was known, to avoid the devastating effects of this fast-spreading virus.
http://www.dr1.com/board/index.cgi?read=28662
Last days of the Santo Domingo book fair
Do not miss the Santo Domingo book fair that ends 7 May. The fair will continue over the weekend at the grounds of the National Music Conservatory at Av. Alma Mater/César Nicolás Penson/Av. Bolívar.
Shakira comes to town
Shakira, the legendary Colombian contemporary Latin music star, will perform in Santo Domingo this Saturday, 6 May. For the event a giant stage is being set up at the Fortaleza Ozama. An estimated 7,000 people fit in the historic fort area. The show is set for 8 pm. Since Dominican law requires a local performer to open the evening, comedian Pipe García, of "La opción de las 12" of Channel 5, has been chosen. Shakira is coming with 21 musicians. Her show's title, "Anfibio". Shakira has just released a new CD, "Shakira MTV Unplugged". Tickets are $300 and are for sale at Club de Lectores Listín (for Listín Diario subscribers), Pizza Hut, Baskin Robbins, Mr. Movies. Also through Ticket Express and at Musicalia and Bachata Rosa.
Travel trade fair continues this weekend
The Bolsa Turistica del Caribe, the annual international travel trade show continues through Saturday at the Dominican Fiesta Hotel convention hall. Some 2,000 travel agents, hotels and allied businesses are participating. There are presentations on investing in tourism and ecotourism. Tour operators and travel agents from Europe, the US, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America have come for the event.
Yellowjackets at the National Theater
Yellowjackets is performing this evening at the National Theater. Dominican Guy Frometa, will also give a special concert tonight. Tickets to watch this contemporary jazz-fusion group are going for RD$350 tickets. http://www.yellowjackets.com/
Presidente Festival set for next year
The president of the Presidente Beer brewery, Rafael Menicucci announced that the Presidente Latin Music Festival will take place next year. He said the event will now be held every two years to guarantee the funding to present the largest number and highest rated Latin artists of the moment. The festival is held in summer and has become one of the most important Latin music festivals of the world.
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