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President Mejia in New York On a tour of several US cities, President Hipolito Mejia said in New York City yesterday that his government will support a massive effort to encourage Dominicans living abroad to exercise their vote at the Dominican voting stations to be opened abroad in time for the 2004 presidential elections. As reported in Hoy newspaper, President Mejia denied that his trip to New York is to promote his aspirations to run for President in 2004. On the other hand, he said he urges Dominicans every day to become more involved in US politics and is proud that so many Dominicans are pursuing elective positions within the structure of US politics. He announced that the former Dominican consul in New York, Luis Eludi Perez, would be appointed as Presidential Commissioner in the United States so that he may act as a direct liaison with the Dominican community and his office. |
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Modernizing the Dominican farm sector Minister of Agriculture Eligio Jaquez is optimistic that the more than RD$5 billion the government is investing in new technology and infrastructure will transform and modernize the food and agriculture supply system in the Dominican Republic. Speaking on the challenges to farm sector competitiveness at a breakfast organized by the American Chamber of Commerce yesterday, he said that the Inter American Development Bank’s US$55 million loan is being invested to apply new agricultural technologies, greater food safety measures and economic reforms that should make the food and agriculture sector more competitive and reduce rural poverty. The total cost of the program to the Dominican Republic is US$61.1 million. The initiatives seek to provide direct support to small-scale farmers adopting technologies that will reduce unit costs of production in a sustainable manner, while at the same time promoting efficiency in the use of productive resources. Partial cash rebates will be provided to farmers who adopt technologies from a menu of options defined in the project - an innovative approach that provides direct support to farmers on a demand-driven basis. In the area of food health and safety, a National Food Health and Safety system will be established, and the National Surveillance and Monitoring Project for Food Residues and Hygiene will be activated. Technical assistance and consulting services will be provided to design additional agricultural policies and institutional reforms, including a geo-referenced survey and registry of farmers. Minister Eligio Jaquez also spoke of the installation of a computerized information system that would enable the agriculture sector to be in sync with world market prices. Jaquez also mentioned the governmental program to install 175 greenhouses, nurseries, cold storage rooms and produce distribution centers, including Merca Santo Domingo. The project has Spanish financing. Acting President Milagros Ortiz Bosch and Minister of Finance Jose Lois Malkum attended the presentation. Also present at the event, former president of the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD) Quirilio Vilorio Caminero said that the main obstacle to farming in the Dominican Republic is the high cost of financing. He said that Dominican farm produce cannot be competitive when it has to pay 30% annual interest rates, compared to 6-8% cost of funds available to competitors abroad. |
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DR embassy in Washington needs major repairs Minister of Foreign Relations Hugo Tolentino Dipp said that the residence of the Dominican ambassador in Washington, D.C. would cost US$200,000 to repair. The mansion located at 2930 Edgevale Terrace is in need of major repairs to the plumbing, heating and electrical systems. Recently appointed Ambassador Hugo Guiliani Cury has opted to stay temporarily at a hotel residence, as he awaits the government disbursal to start the necessary work. At present, the grand mansion is closed. Minister Tolentino said that the government would be funding the most urgent repairs to make the house livable. |
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Getting paid to do nothing Diario Libre reports that the substitutes to Central Electoral Board judges receive salaries that range from RD$55,000 to RD$65,000 a month, benefits of the JCE retirement plan, medical and life insurance, gasoline allotments, and per diem allotments. The good news, for them, is that historically there rarely has been a case when a substitute has actually had to perform any duties. Electoral Law 275-97 establishes that their role is to replace the electoral judges when and if necessary. In 1997 Judge Aura Celeste Fernandez resigned when the present president of the PRD, Hatuey de Camps, hinted she was biased in favor of the PLD. But even then, her substitute replacement was not admitted to the post because the Senate preferred to replace her with another judge. When Judge Leonel Rodriguez Estrella resigned, again the Senate replaced him with another judge. Diario Libre says that the winners of the very attractive JCE judge replacement posts are Luis Mera Alvarez, Margarita Gil, Martha Miguelina Figuereo, Porfirio Hernandez Quezada, Luis Ernesto Brea, Nelson Butten Varona and Jorge Eligio Mendez Perez. They have been appointed for four-year terms. |
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Courting the PRSC Diario Libre highlights that the government of Mejia has been courting the Partido Reformista Social Cristiano (PRSC) by allowing the opposition party members to hold influential positions in government. The newspaper mentions several key positions that are held by individuals with influence in the PRSC. The positions in the hands of members of the PRSC are: Presidency of the Chamber of Deputies (Rafaela Alburquerque) Presidency of the Dominican Municipal League, which manages the funds of the city governments (Amable Aristy Castro) Supreme Court Judge (Pedro Romero Confesor) Chamber of Accounts that revises government accounting (Katiuska Bobea de Brenes) Two judges in the Central Electoral Board (Luis N. Pantaleon and Rafaelina Peralta). |
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Wave of price increases The press reports on the wave of consumer product price increases from 5-30%, as companies transfer to consumers the increases in production costs. The costs are the direct result of the devaluation of the Dominican peso to the US dollar and the expected increases in power and petroleum costs. When interviewed yesterday at an American Chamber of Commerce breakfast, Minister of Finance Jose Lois Malkum said that the government is obviously concerned, as well as the public. He said the government is committed to ensuring macroeconomic stability. He blamed the increases on the rising cost of petroleum on world markets, however, over which the Dominican government has no control. As reported in the Listin Diario, he nevertheless said he does not expect inflation to surpass the Central Bank’s estimate for 6.5% at year-end, as reported. |
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Power generators to take distributors to court Kevin Manning, general manager of Itabo, says the power generation company would commence legal proceedings against Union Fenosa companies Edenorte and Edesur, who owe them US$12 million. He said that Union Fenosa distributors owe the other major generation company, Generadora Haina, upwards of US$24 million. Manning told the press that Itabo now has the capacity to generate 260 megawatts, and by December, their capacity should be up to 400 megawatts. |
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Redondo was under psychological pressure Diario Libre reports that Miami-based psychologist Efrain Gonzalez explained that then 18-year old Mario Jose Redondo Llenas originally had only planned to demand a considerable ransom for the kidnapping of his 12-year old cousin. In 1996, acting under alleged intense psychological pressure from the husband of Argentinean ambassador to the Dominican Republic, he committed the murder of the boy, Jose Rafael Llenas Aybar. The murder case is currently being heard again in the Appeals Court of Santo Domingo. The psychologist, who was hired by the Redondo Llenas family, said that Redondo Llenas was seduced by an irresistible force and was involved with a pornography ring, drug trafficking, and a Satanic cult promoted by Luis Palma de la Calzada, the husband of the Argentinean ambassador to the DR at the time. He said that Redondo was traumatized for having been subject to violence that included being a victim of fellatio at gun point, denigrating phone calls and having been forced to witness robberies in France and the murder of a youth who had accused the husband of the ambassador of being a homosexual. In a report presented during the hearing, Gonzalez says that both Redondo Llenas and the minor Martin Palma, son of the diplomat, were forced to transfer the body of the murdered youth to the Argentinean Embassy where it was kept in a freezer until it was disposed of. |
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Villa Francisca wins basketball tournament First-time competitor Villa Francisca won the National District Superior Basketball Championship in the fifth game of the finals last night. This is the first time in the history of the tournament that a team has won in its initial year. Villa Francisca defeated San Lazaro by a score of 99-88 at the Palacio de los Deportes Virgilio Travieso Soto. Villa Francisca’s Eddy Elisma was chosen as Most Valuable Player. Last night’s game was especially exciting, as San Lazaro held the lead at the start of the first half by 42-27. Villa Francisca came from behind, and ended the first half in a tie with San Lazaro. |
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