The seven PRD Presidential pre-candidates opposing President Hipolito Mejia's re-election plan suffered a blow with yesterday's departure of party secretary Rafael "Fello" Subervi Bonilla. As reported in Thursday's DR1 news, the seven - Milagros Ortiz Bosch, Enmanuel Esquea Guerrero, Hatuey Decamps, Rafael Abinader, Ramon Alburquerque, Rafael Flores Estrella and Fello Subervi- had been having difficulties selecting a single candidate to run against President Mejia. Subervi, who is acting Minister of Tourism in the Mejia administration, cited this irresolution as his reason for breaking from their ranks, calling it a "painful" decision. "The effort has been futile", he told reporters late yesterday afternoon and called on his supporters to refrain from voting in Sunday's plebiscite, planned by the seven in order to survey PRD membership on the question of the Presidential right to re-election. Subervi Bonilla will now campaign alone for his Presidential candidacy and maintains that he will not consider anything but the Presidential pre-candidacy option, preferring not to run as a Vice-Presidential candidate. It is thought, however, that he may now set his sights on joining President Mejia as his running mate. Although Namphy Rodriguez, of CDN Radio, speculated on his morning news talk show today that President Hipolito Mejia may surprise Dominicans and endorse the presidential candidacy of Subervi. Subervi seems to be gambling all for nothing. Rafael Flores Estrella commented that if what Subervi has in mind comes to nothing, the politician's political career could flounder. Subervi expressed his commitment to the party's unity and called on all factions - including President Hipilito Mejia - to enter into dialogue with this end in mind. The remaining six pre-candidates voiced their disappointment at Fello's decision to leave. Milagros Ortiz Bosch and Flores Estrella described his departure as "regrettable" and "unjustified". Meanwhile, according to a report in Listin Diario, President Mejia made overtures towards Subervi Bonilla and Ortiz Bosch, proposing an alliance between the three. The plebiscite is still set to go ahead this Sunday, despite patchy support from the regional branches of the PRD and, as reported in El Caribe, the fact that many party branches are calling on their members to abstain from voting. In Puerto Plata, San Cristobal and San Francisco supporters of the plebiscite have complained that activists of the PPH (Proyecto Presidencial Hipolito, PRD internal campaign for the President's re-election) have been trying to prevent members from taking part in the vote. Diario Libre's back-page commentary "De buena tinta" by Adriano Miguel Tejada speculates on the timing of Fello's departure, saying that the decision was probably precipitated by worrisome information regarding projected participation rates for Sunday's plebiscite. If the plebiscite is a failure, writes Tejada, Fello's position will be strengthened and he could be well-placed to join President Mejia on a Presidential ticket. If the plebiscite is successful, however, Fello will see his support decline. The column ends by saying that the whole thing may be engulfed by other events vying for the public's attention this weekend, such as the baseball's World Series and the Presidente music festival in Santo Domingo. In a separate but related development, the disputes chamber of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) yesterday unanimously rejected the PPH's attempt to have the planned plebiscite declared illegal. The JCE's panel of five judges ruled that the plebiscite was a consultation of the party's grassroots and was not intended to be of a legally binding nature, and could therefore go ahead.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sent a group of technicians to review the purchase contract that was arranged by the Dominican Government and Union Fenosa of Spain. There are, according to Finance Minister Rafael Calderon, as reported in the Listin Diario, three main areas of concern: how the fiscal aspects of the purchase may impact the economy, the increasing debt carried by the country and the effectiveness of the managerial capacities of the public sector in handling these companies? Calderon told reporters that the Presidential commission had prepared a document for the IMF, explaining how the companies had been operating, how the country would stand if the UF continued operating the distributors and how the government plans to run the Ede-Norte and the Ede-Sur. The technicians will be meeting with personnel from the Superintendent of Electricity's office, as well as people from the CDEEE. The final report will go to the government and the IMF's board of directors.
Speaking at a government-organized conference titled "External Trade, Commercial Treaties and Competitiveness", Elena Viyella de Paliza, the president of private business association CONEP, said that the success of the free trade agreement (FTA) currently being negotiated with the US depends on certain preconditions, such as a solution to the power crisis and the creation of a compensation fund for the country's productive sectors. She stressed that these prerequisites were essential if small- and medium-sized businesses are to benefit from an agreement of this nature. The CONEP president also stated her hope that the current preferential tariffs enjoyed under the Caribbean Basin Initiative would be preserved in the context of any new agreement. Industry & Commerce Minister Sonia Guzman declared that that the proposed FTA with the US was aimed at expanding trade, attracting investment, increasing employment opportunities and strengthening the country's institutional framework. Guzman also used the meeting as an opportunity to present the team of FTA negotiators, and, according to Ana Mitila Lora of the Listin Diario, she referred to the negotiators as her "kids" ("muchachos"), a reflection of the relative youth of her "dream team", which includes Hugo Rivera Fernandez in the role of coordinator; Elka Scheker Mendoza, services coordinator; Natalia Polanco, dispute resolution; Lynette Batista de Sanoja, deputy coordinator; Claudia Troncoso, government purchases; Orlando Jorge Mera, intellectual property; Carolina Mejia, Free Trade Area of the Americas and World Trade Organization coordinator; Jeannette Dominguez, Free Trade Zones; Magin Diaz, tariffs; Jesus de los Santos, access to markets; Patricia Mejia, investment; Eduardo Rodriguez, customs administration and Hector Rene Ledesma, environment. "Let us hope that the 'kids' acquire experience," says Ana Mitila Lora, who hopes that there is no "jealousy" or "rivalry" between them, as "so much is at stake."
CONEP president Elena Viyella de Paliza has reiterated her organization's opposition to the government's controversial decision to introduce of X-ray equipment to scan export containers at all ports of entry, a view shared by ANJE, the young entrepreneurs' association. Diario Libre's main editorial calls the contract, which has been awarded to the widow of a deceased army general, "suspicious". The unilateral award of the contract is a further reflection of the lack of transparency on the part of the government, according to the editorial writer. That fact alone makes the introduction of X-ray machines a legitimate target for criticism, as it shows favoritism towards a company chosen without any selection process to ensure cost-effectiveness. "To say the least," concludes the column, "we are faced with a questionable and unwanted contract, which the government would do well to postpone without delay."
Civil society organization Participacion Ciudadana ("Citizen Participation") is recommending that the Senate endorse proposals for a new law aimed at fighting corruption in public life. The coordinator of the non-partisan organization, Miriam Diaz Santana, addressed the Senate's president, Jesus Vasquez Martinez, asking that his administration demonstrate its commitment to combat corruption, with a view to consolidating transparency in the state sector. In particular, Diaz called for an examination of the laws on the awarding of public contracts, services and concessions, as well as public access to information and declaration of assets. She expressed some concern at the proposal to reform the law regulating non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and asked that civil society representatives and international cooperation organizations be included in the consultation process.
The Dominican Republic has twice as many cell-phones as landlines, according to Indotel (Dominican Institute of Telecommunications) director Orlando Jorge Mera. Speaking at the Mobile Phone Forum in Punta Cana, Jorge Mera explained that there are approximately 900,000 conventional phones in operation and well over 1.8 million cellular phones in the country. This explosion in the use of mobile phones is typical of Latin America, where most countries have experienced a massive rise in the use of cell-phones since 1996, said the Indotel director.
The XII Conference of First Ladies of the Americas closed yesterday with a commitment to promoting youth-oriented integrated development programs aimed at increasing young people's access to education, health and employment. "Young people are the leaders of the future", said Dominican First Lady Dona Rosa Gomez de Mejia. "My work with [young people] over the years has shown me that they are the new blood of the future we dream of." The Paraguayan First Lady, Maria Gloria Penayo, who will host next year's conference, called on all nations to work together to achieve this goal. "I hope that when we meet next year in Paraguay, we will be able to present tangible achievements with pride", said Penayo.
There is still no end in sight to the rift between the Dominican Republic and its neighbor to the south, according to Venezuelan ambassador Francisco Belisario, who was summoned to Caracas by President Hugo Chavez amidst allegations that the Dominican government was involved in the activities of the Venezuelan opposition in exile. "Relations remain tense and we are engaged in dialogue aimed at solving the crisis," Belisario told reporters yesterday, after emerging from a meeting with Vice-President Jose Vicente Rangel. Oil exports from Venezuela were suspended in August as a result of the dispute. Belisario said that while he did not wish to harm the Dominican people, "what we have on the table are accusations of conspiracy and assassination." He did not think that the crisis would lead to a total breakdown of relations between the two countries, but felt the solution to be tied in to "the defense of Venezuelan democracy, which is not negotiable." This means that allegations that Venezuelan opposition figures based in the Dominican Republic were plotting to assassinate President Chavez with the complicity of the Dominican authorities would have to be investigated "to the last detail." The Venezuelans have concrete proof of these accusations, said Belisario, who also referred to full-page advertisements placed in the Listin Diario newspaper in which former Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez, who resides in the Dominican Republic, openly stated his intention to depose Chavez before the end of this year. The reported threat to have Venezuelan diplomatic personnel in Santo Domingo declared "persona non-grata" by the Dominican authorities would only complicate matters further, according to Belisario.
Diario Libre asks the question on everybody's lips: Why is it that the government can get away with owing millions, but does not tolerate non-payment of what is owed to them? This contradiction is illustrated by the distinct cases presented to the newspaper yesterday. In one instance, a woman received a water bill for RD$2, with the threat that the service would be disconnected should she fail to pay up. By contrast, however, the Public Health Ministry owes another woman RD$48,000 in unpaid rent. Mercedes Rodriguez had rented out her premises to the health authorities for use as a clinic in the Herrera district of Santo Domingo. Despite exhaustive legal efforts, she has not been able to wrest the payment from the governmental ministry since their decision to cease payments in May 2002 - nor has she managed to evict them from her property.
The aftershocks being experienced in the Cibao (north-central region) continue to provoke unease among the population. The newspapers report that many schoolchildren in the Imbert area are having their lessons in al fresco, as a result of fears that a further tremor could bring down a school building. Santiago's Cabral y Baez hospital is dealing with emergencies and pre-existing cases only, until further notice. In Puerto Plata some inhabitants chose to sleep outdoors on Thursday night. People are being advised to seek open spaces in the event of a quake, as far away as possible from buildings and other structures. Furthermore, it is dangerous to run down stairs during an earthquake, says Radhames Lora Salcedo of the regional emergency committee. The two latest reported aftershocks measured 4.2 and 4.3 on the Richter scale, according to the UASD Seismologic Institute, and occurred at 11:30pm on Wednesday and 1:00am in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The latest tremors, or aftershocks, from the 22 September 6.5 quake, have delayed trials for the EGE-Haina generator in Puerto Plata. The unit had just undergone a major RD$30-million overhaul when the earthquake struck. As a result, some of the footing of the condensation unit was damaged and required repairs before going back online. When the technicians were about to begin the test period, however, major aftershocks were felt and the test-trials were postponed until the unit could be checked again for damage. The units, Puerto Plata I and II, are the major suppliers of electricity for the area.
In what may go down as one of the poorest game management efforts in baseball history, a weary Pedro MartInez gave the Boston Red Sox all he could for seven magnificent innings, but it was the eighth that would spell disaster. Inexplicably, with the most efficient bullpen in this year's playoffs warmed up and ready to enter the game, Red Sox manager Grady Little decided to stick with a clearly tired Martinez. Pedro had eclipsed 100 pitches for the game and was coming up against the heart of the Yankees' order. What happened next will haunt Red Sox fans forever and only add to the lore of the perennial champions, the New York Yankees. Four hits later, a 5-2 lead was gone and so was Pedro, after some brilliant pitching that included striking out Alfonso Soriano four times and leaving ten baserunners stranded. The Yanks, however, won the game 6-5, giving them the series 4-3 and a date with the Florida Marlins starting Saturday.
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