| Daily News - Tuesday, 02 November 2004 |
Carlos Dore Cabral, the director of the Department of Information, Analysis and Strategic Planning of the Presidency, highlighted to the press yesterday that new jobs will be created as a result of effective economic policies to overcome the present crisis, not through additional government spending. Dore Cabral said that while the President expressed his interest in creating 50,000 employment opportunities for PLD members, these jobs will not necessarily be within the government structure. He recalled how during the first Leonel Fernandez administration (1996-2000) some 600,000 new jobs were created and to which all Dominicans had access, including PLD members. He emphasized that President Leonel Fernandez in his inaugural speech said the government would reduce public spending by 20%, a goal towards which they are working. Dore Cabral commented that the Central Bank governor had recently reported a decline in government spending that had already reached 12%. A firm step in this direction has been made through the various ongoing efforts to achieve economic stability.
At a time when the government has reactivated talks about improving the competitiveness of Dominican industries, the Superintendence of Power has announced a 13.6% increase in the electricity tariff applied to industries and commerce. As for residential service, the Superintendence said that households consuming more than 700 kWh would see a 9% rise, but that there would be no increase for those consuming less than 700 kWh. Resolution 70-2004 pronounced the tariff hike.
Power service continues to be substandard, with blackouts of 6-12 hours a day representing the current norm.
Interior and Police Minister Franklin Almeyda dissolved the Municipal Police force last Friday and banned its members from using military and police garb and from bearing weapons.
Now, the president of the Dominican Federation of Municipalities Fausto Ruiz is disputing this decision and says he will contest the action taken before the Supreme Court of Justice. Ruiz, who is also the well-respected mayor of La Vega, believes the disbanding of the municipal police violated the Constitution.
He told the press that the resolution represented a tough blow to institutionalism in the DR and an attempt to undermine the decentralization of the state and municipal autonomy. Ruiz believes the action to have been inappropriate because the municipal police fall under the municipal autonomy established by Law 3455. He maintains that the measure is also contradictory and recalled how the chief of the National Police had recently called on the municipal forces to help the fight against delinquency.
The Listin Diario's political analyst Orlando Gil explains in his column today that what lies behind all this is merely politics. Gil writes to say that the PRD has ensconced itself in the nation's municipalities, most of which are in that party's official control, now that the central government is under the PLD. He also says that what was most worrisome about the municipal police was not that their uniforms were so similar to those used by the National Police, but the fact that these men were armed.
Gil explains further: "Each weapon in the hands of a municipal agent is not just a gun in the hands of an authority, but one in the hands of a PRD man. The internal peace of the country is at risk if a party has its command centers spread out all across the territory, and that is, politically speaking, what the municipal police stations are and nothing else. One cannot forget that the Ministry of Interior and Police has denounced the massive distribution of weapons that took place under the previous authorities. And so, what is happening now with the excuse of dissolving the Municipal Police is that the government is disarming the PRD that had camouflaged its members in the uniforms of the municipal agents."
Gil comments that this action is a follow-up to the disarmament efforts already directed at those holding the "friendly" permits and other irregular authorizations.
Diario Libre reports today that all nine judges of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) are currently abroad. Luis Arias and Nelson Gomez have gone to observe the US presidential election, while Judges Salvador Ramos and Luis Nelson Pantaleon Gonzalez are in Puerto Rico to observe the election of its governor. Meanwhile, Judges Rafael Diaz Vasquez and Roberto Rosario traveled to Uruguay to observe that country's election. And Judges Rafaelina Peralta, Ramon Hernandez Dominguez and Jose Luis Tavarez traveled to Chile to view the congressional and municipal elections there. The judges assert that their travels are paid for by the electoral organizations that have invited them to participate in their electoral processes.
The most controversial of Dominican priests, Father Rogelio Cruz, sent a document to the press in which he laments that certain Church representatives are more concerned with the privileges associated to the religious institution than with the urgencies of a reign of justice. Without mentioning Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez's name nor that of any other authority, the Salesian priest said he would like to see Church leaders who are truly cheerful, compassionate and pacific witnesses of the gospel who work towards reconciliation. According to Hoy newspaper's report, Father Rogelio says in the document that he is saddened by the call to discipline made by some of the Church hierarchy. He advocated a church organization without privileges that is capable of becoming a veritable part of the layman's society, both pluralistic and democratic, and that promotes pro-active citizens who strive for peace, liberty and justice, and who defend the poor and those who suffer.
Last week, Cardinal Lopez Rodriguez, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic, unleashed a strong criticism of Father Rogelio, calling him "insolent and daring" after Father Rogelio commented that the cardinal did not represent the people.
Father Rogelio is in favor of a church that is less dependent on the economic support, tax exemptions and other privileges of the government that he said divert the Church and religion away from its role in assisting the poor.
Representatives of neighborhood groups and businesses of the Colonial City (known locally as "la Zona") met yesterday at the city hall to find a midpoint between what is being described as nightlife getting out of hand in the historic city center and a much-desired boom for Santo Domingo's cultural tourism and nightlife.
Businesses agree that limits need to be set on the high volume of music in certain areas, but they fear the alternative may be a "moribund city."
Cardinal Nicolas Lopez Rodriguez has taken a radical position in stating that anything untoward in the Colonial City must be shut down, "especially the homosexual whorehouses."
El Caribe reports that neighbors and local entrepreneurs insist that the measures to be implemented should not kill the lively spirit that has brought new life to the Zona.
A pro-Colonial City group that boasts among its successes having lit up the area, disagrees with the cardinal's position. Group coordinator and architect Manuel Del Monte Urraca says another approach must be found and he hopes that the cardinal will participate in the Wednesday, 10 November workshop scheduled at the Fundacion Global, Democracia y Desarrollo to discuss and set guidelines for area activity.
See http://www.funglode.org/actividad/actividad.asp?date=11%2F10%2F2004
As reported in El Caribe, several neighbors that met at the city hall yesterday feel a witch hunt to exterminate the bars is not the solution. So far, the Mankala and Abacus night spots, located in front of La Altagracia Church, have been closed down. The city hall commission head by Altagracia Sanz says they will not be closing more bars for now, but are studying the cases of the establishments Murano and Aire.
The executive director of the Association of Hotels of Santo Domingo, Paola Dimitri, says, "It is counterproductive that at a time when we are promoting Santo Domingo as a cultural destination we are also closing bars."
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 1996-2008. DR1. All Rights Reserved.