| Daily News - 4 May 2004 |
Listin Diario reports that the 300 Dominican soldiers that were based in Iraq have already left that country and are temporarily stationed in Kuwait awaiting their transfer to the Dominican Republic. The contingent was part of a total of 600 men sent to Iraq to support the US war effort.
Late last month, President Mejia announced the withdrawal of the Dominican troops after Spain and Honduras decided to pull their troops out of Iraq. The Spanish commanded the Plus Ultra Brigade vigilance force that grouped both the Honduras and Dominican soldiers. President Mejia, who seeks to be reelected on 16 May, had said the Dominican troops would remain in Iraq to complete their mission at the end of June, but changed his mind when violence escalated in Iraq. Soto Jimenez said the troops would remain at a US base in Kuwait, and could return within the next 15 days.
Hoy newspaper comments that it seems to be in the government’s best interest that well-respected Environment Minister Frank Moya Pons not appear before the Senate to testify until after the presidential election. Moya Pons has been invited to testify on how Puerto Rico power plant refuse, known as fly ash abroad and rock ash in the DR, was irregularly imported to Manzanillo and Samana, but the original insistence has cooled. Dominican law bans the importing of refuse. In its page two commentary, the newspaper speculates that the request for Moya Pons to speak before the Senate may have been put aside because the latter, who has spoken very little on the topic, might reveal the truth and business interests behind the import and who in government authorized the import of the wastes and why. The columnist mentions the revelations might not be in the campaign interests of the ruling party.
The Dominican government authorized this week the restart of meat imports from the United States, as reported in the Listin Diario. These were banned in December 2003 after mad cow disease was detected in the US. The meat needs to heed only from slaughterhouses that are US certified as free of the disease.
Hoy newspaper focuses on Hipolito Mejia campaign activities where public funds have been used to gain political support. “If they do not vote for Hipolito Mejia that would be an error and treason to the virtue of gratefulness,” said Culture Minister Tony Raful, who the newspaper identifies as acting president of the PRD. Raful was referring to the campaign effort of the PRD to garner the votes of those who drive motorcycles or operate motorcycle-taxis to whom the government has promised to supply 100,000 new motorcycles at very advantageous purchase conditions.
In another front page story, the newspaper highlights the event held at the Juan Pablo Duarte Sports Palace yesterday, where President Mejia delivered land and property titles. Mejia has promised that before 16 August he will deliver 200,000 property titles on State Sugar Council (CEA) and Dominican Agrarian Institute (IAD) to those who vote for him.
Likewise, on page two the newspaper highlights the campaign activity of President Mejia who promised to pay a debt of RD$2 billion to cattle ranchers. The President said the money would be paid before 16 May, “to see if some of you change and vote for the bald man,” said Mejia, referring to himself.
Hoy newspaper wonders where the government will find all the resources to make due on all the campaign promises it has made to secure votes in the final stretch of the presidential campaign.
Former President Leonel Fernandez disputes the argument of governance made by supporters of President Hipolito Mejia, who stress that the PLD would not be able to govern as it will have only have one senator and 42 deputies. Since 2002, the ruling PRD party has controlled the Presidency and has majority in the Senate and is the leading political party in the Chamber of Deputies, the other house of Congress.
Speaking in Santiago on campaign, Fernandez, running for the PLD, told the press that he prefers to govern with only one senator that may defend the interests of most Dominicans, and not with 29 legislators that have contributed to the burial of the Dominican economy. Fernandez said that during the 1996-2000 presidential term, the PLD governed with one senator and 12 deputies. “And we did so better than this government that has 29 senators,” said Fernandez, as reported in El Dia newspaper. He mentioned that with one senator the Fernandez government was able to post growth rates of 8%, generate 600,000 jobs and keep the exchange rate stable. He said he received the exchange rate at RD$13 and ended its government with the rate at RD$16, while the PRD government with 29 senators has let the value of the peso slide to RD$48 to US$1, and the nation has suffered a massive collapse of companies and loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Fernandez expressed concern over the election process. “I say it one more time. We will win by fair vote, with the majority vote of the Dominican people, but if they seek to tamper with those results and violate the will of the Dominican people, they will be forced out, because the people are saying: “Out they go!” (E pa fuera que van!)
The Organization of American States (OAS) in a confidential report to the Central Electoral Board (JCE) recommends that the electoral court carry out new trials to develop contingency plans given the likelihood of power, computer system, main server, and data network and communications problems on election day, as reported in El Caribe newspaper. The OAS mission that is following up the development of the presidential election in the DR also recommends further training of the staff of the municipal electoral boards, polling stations and political delegates.
Meanwhile, El Caribe reports that the JCE demonstrated to the press the plastic material that will be used to laminate the voting certificates. The JCE also announced the dispatching of electoral material to the 101 polling stations located abroad.
Not to be missed are the shows in which the three leading contenders to be the next President of the Dominican Republic will be intervened by a panel of leading Dominican journalists, including newspaper editors, TV talk shows and investigative reporters. The schedule for the interviews is: Wednesday, 5 May, Eduardo Estrella (PRSC); Thursday, 6 May, Hipolito Mejia (PRD); 6 May, Leonel Fernandez (PLD). The interviews can be followed on Telesistema, Channel 11, Coral, Channel 39, TeleAntillas, Channel 2 from 7 to 9 am. On radio, follow them on 95.7 FM, or 830 AM.
The three leading political parties announced the location and dates of their campaign closing events. The PRD will close its campaign on Wednesday, 12 May at the environs of the Francisco del Rosario Sanchez Bridge (Puente de la 17), over the Ozama River. On Thursday, 13 May, the PLD has chosen the same traditional site for its closing event. The PRSC will close with an event that is scheduled for the Maximo Gomez rotunda. The presidential campaign closes on 14 May, to give Dominicans two campaign-free days to decide their vote.
Diario Libre publishes an advertisement today with a news story by controversial journalist Marino Zapete whereby he mentions that TV producer Julio Hazim received RD$4.2 billion and US$23 million loans from Baninter with no collateral whatsoever. The loans are part of the so-called “Baninter hole,” caused primarily by lack of adequate government banking supervision. The excesses allowed in banking operations have been levied on Dominican taxpayers in the form of higher taxes and inflation. According to Zapete, documents from the Central Bank show that Hazim has requested the condoning of 70% of the loans. The funds were in part invested in the large medical center, Centro Medico Internacional (INCE) located in the Naco area and whose construction has not continued. Writes Zapete: “But the greatness and the street-smart character (tigueraje) of Julito does not rest in his benefiting from the RD$4 billion and US$23 million in Baninter depositor funds without signing contracts or without guarantees. His most daring feat is to appear everyday on TV projecting an image as an honest and independent news commentator.”
“Everyday, Hazim, held by the trust of Hipolito Mejia and his PPH, sits before the TV cameras to criticize and tell others what to do, comment on what has been done right for wrong. I call that to be a daredevil (cachazudo),” he writes.
He wonders until when Julito Hazim will find a way to continue to be included among Dominican society’s so-called “honorable” people. “Meanwhile, the eight million fools that live in this part of the island have to pay for the RD$4 billion and US$23 million that he received from Baninter… Until when will things be like that?” he writes. To contact the writer, email him at mzapete@yahoo.es
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