The meeting between Presidents George W. Bush and Leonel Fernandez announced for later this month, could mark the definitive beginning of the free trade agreement between the two nations. The only pending matter, according to a report in Diario Libre, is the go-ahead from the Untied States on the bills to modify the Law of Industrial Property, the Copyright Law, and the Government Procurement Law. Changes to these three laws were already drafted and sent by the DR to the Office of the US Trade Representative, but so far there has not been any reply. On Monday, Industry and Commerce Minister Francisco Javier Garcia traveled to Washington leading a negotiating mission that is normally headed by Vilma Arbaje. Two days after that, the visit of President Fernandez to the White House was announced for 26 October. This was preceded by visits by Ambassador Hans Hertell to the National Congress and the Presidential Palace to discuss pending laws for the DR-CAFTA. Speculation has also arisen regarding the possibility of the two Presidents discussing the election of the United National Security Council and the Dominican Republic's position on that. Venezuela is seeking a seat on the UNSC and the US is trying to prevent this from happening. Political circles are discussing the possibility that Bush may propose to Fernandez that the DR run for the seat, or otherwise make sure that the DR will not vote for Venezuela. Recently, the Venezuelan Ambassador to the DR, Beliario Landis, stated at the Presidential Palace that the DR had committed itself to supporting his country.
President Leonel Fernandez expressed the Dominican government's enthusiasm for the development of reflections about identity and diversity, which are becoming true fundamental principles of human and sustainable development of the countries participating in the II Meeting of Culture Ministers of the Group of African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) States, that opened yesterday at the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo (UASD)'s Aula Magna Hall. Representatives from 80 countries and other invited international organizations are attending the meeting. It is expected that the UNESCO Convention for the Diversification of Cultural Expressions will be ratified during the meeting. It will be an instrument that will allow self-determination for cultural policies and the access of products and services, for the cultural industry, in non-monopolistic markets. The forum begins on Saturday and lasts through the 21st of the month. According to a report in Diario Libre, the President explained that identity and diversity must become two key components of development that, together with the defense and protection of our national and cultural heritage, unify our feelings and emphasize similarities and differences that justify diverse paths created by humanity. This is the second time the summit of culture ministers is held in the country and the first time for the ACP Cultural Festival. Culture Minister Jose Rafael Lantigua and ACP Group Secretary General Sir John Kaputin, also addressed the audience that attended the opening function.
President Leonel Fernandez has inaugurated another aqueduct system, this time in the northeastern city of San Francisco de Macoris. The system cost US$84 million and is considered to be one of the most modern aqueduct systems in the country. The system has an expiration period of 20 years, and will provide water to more than 300 families in the region.
The former Administrator of National Properties (Bienes Nacionales) under the Mejia administration, Victor Tio Fernandez, and another four people were sentenced to serve two and a half years in prison after having been found guilty of prevarication and criminal association in the misappropriation of 3,382.8 square meters of land belonging to the state. Tio was accused of making undervalued sales of government land on Ave. Charles de Gaulle. Tio Fernandez sold each meter squared of property for RD$5.00, in favorable deals to friends and government officials. More than 3,382.2 meters squared were sold. Four other people accused were found not guilty and yet another - Lorenzo Felipe Rodriguez - was excluded from the process because he is at large. Diario Libre reports that the decision was made by Judge Sergio Antonio Ortega of the Criminal Chamber of the National District Court of First Instance.
Yandra Portela is calling for more fiscal responsibility from the government and says that neither the public nor the private sector can handle more taxes. Portela, president of the Dominican Association of Industries (AIRD) said that the government, instead of focusing on fiscal reform to cover its costs, should cut government spending, seeing that this year alone spending has risen by 30%. Portela went on to say that the government needs more austerity when it comes to spending and that the current economic situation doesn't give President Leonel Fernandez the luxury of riding around in high priced SUVs and taking trips. She also said that the Central Bank does not need to have a reform in order to deal with the quasi-fiscal deficit and that the government should take a look at its propane gas subsidy program. She also commented that the government should focus on the energy crisis. Portela also criticized how "Dominicans make laws, and then abandon them," referring to Energy Laws 125-01 and the Monetary and Financial law. Speaking on DR-CAFTA, Portela said that the country's entry into the agreement might be announced during Fernandez's trip to Washington later this month, but commented that many businesses are not prepared for that moment.
The Director of the National Planning Department (ONAPLAN), Guarocuya Feliz Paniagua, is not a typical public official, according to Clave weekly newspaper. He does not travel in an SUV because he is aware that they use up a lot of gasoline. He travels coach "even if it is paid by the government" and doesn't stay in five-star hotels because "that is a waste of money". He expects to stay in hotels near to his scheduled meetings "so he won't spend a lot of money on taxis". And if someone has money left over from their per diems, he demands it be returned. He uses a cell phone inherited from the previous administration without access to long distance or roaming. He has lunch in the office every day and orders the same food as the rest of his office staff. Forty-year-old Feliz Paniagua, who has a PhD in Economics from the University of Barcelona, drives a Skoda, in contrast to other government officials who use Lexus SUVs and Jaguars, as reported by Clave. He doesn't have an assigned credit card nor does he have representation expenses.
The President of the Dominican Bishops Conference, Msgr. Ramon Benito de la Rosa y Carpio, and Health Minister Bautista Rojas, expressed support for the donation of human organs. In a speech titled, "Life, donating love," de la Rosa urged the Dominican public to donate organs to fellow citizens as a gesture of love and humanity towards other Dominicans. He explained that the Catholic Church is in favor of transplants and organ donation because it represents the transfer of life from one person to another. During his speech, the archbishop however did comment on the Church's disapproval about euthanasia and abortion, according to the Caribe newspaper. The prelate lectured on "The Position of the Church towards Organ Donations", during a public function at Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) yesterday.
The police have announced the recovery of stolen vehicles worth RD$15 million over the last five days. Diario Libre reports that among the vehicles recovered is the 2006 Toyota Prado SUV belonging to PRSC leader Angel Lockward, which was stolen about two months ago by three armed individuals. Also recovered by the police were a white Nissan pick-up truck, a blue Mitsubishi SUV, a red Toyota car, a green BMW car and a white Toyota Montero SUV.
Ex Central Electoral Board (JCE) president, Manuel Ramon Morel Cerda has harshly criticized the current group of JCE judges, who he said have done a terrible job. In comments to Diario Libre, Morel said that their tenure has been an unprecedented disaster, and criticized the way the JCE handled the budget, favoritism in choosing government officials, the rise in the payroll, and the contracting of services that have caused the JCE to have financial difficulties.
Meanwhile, a senatorial block of PRD members has come to its own conclusion as to how the JCE judges should be chosen. According to the block, the main political parties, the Special Commission of the Senate, civil society representatives and the Catholic Church, represented by Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado, should meet and unanimously choose JCE judges.
First Lady Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez has inaugurated a seminar on "Gender and sustainable rural development in Latin America and the Caribbean at Santo Domingo's Jaragua Hotel. The conference aims to analyze the situation of rural women in the context of globalization and hopes to exchange ideas and experiences to combat extreme poverty. The conference also hopes to garner support for the International Rural Women's Day on 15 October. During her speech Cedeno highlighted the importance of bettering access to services for rural women like education, training and access to technology.
Finance Minister Vicente Bengoa came out in the Caribe newspaper and said that reports that the recent oil shortage in the country were caused by cancellation of oil shipments from Venezuela aren't true. Bengoa also informed the public that 85,000 barrels of petroleum would be arriving in the country today, bringing an end to the shortage. Bengoa stated that the government was told with enough time that Venezuelan oil wouldn't be arriving, but that PetroCaribe isn't to blame for the shortage. Bengoa also said that since Venezuela wasn't able to ship the country oil, the DR bought 250,000 barrels from Houston, Texas.
Former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo spoke yesterday at the Foundation for Global Development and Democracy (Funglode) and expressed his concerns about poverty and social inequalities that are plaguing Latin America. He declared that governments should spend more money on education, health, and nutrition programs. Toledo, accompanied by President Leonel Fernandez made his comments during a speech called, "The fight against poverty and governance in Latin America." Toledo is quoted as saying that poverty, though supported by large companies, can conspire against democracy. During his speech Toledo remarked on some startling statistics. According to him globally more than 100 million people live on less that US$1 per day while 230 million live on less than US$2 a day, and that in Latin America 260 million live on less than US$2, which he described as "very cruel".
The Listin Diario is reporting that in a telephone call made from jail, former First Lieutenant of the National Police Emil Miguel Reyes Reyes admitted that he killed Air Force Major Jose Manuel Herran Mancebo, supposedly on the orders of Colonel Pablo Leonel Velazquez Taveras. The warrant for the phone tap was legally issued, meaning that the evidence will be presented at trial on 2 November. Reyes called a man named Osvaldo Sanchez Florentino from Victoria prison, and supposedly offered him RD$13,000 to do a favor for him, protect him from authorities, and from the family of the victim. Reyes Reyes is charged with shooting Mancebo Herran and then escaping together with his accomplice on a black Yamaha RX-115.
United States Ambassador, Hans Hertell, held a dinner with representatives of the Muslim community in the Dominican Republic to celebrate the Iftar, a traditional dinner that breaks the daily fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, which this year coincides with October and part of November. According to the custom, the diplomat received his guests in the late afternoon at the Embassy Residence.
The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany / Union Church of Santo Domingo is inviting the public to a gala concert on its tracker direct-action pipe organ "Tellers Opus No. 1", the only one of its kind in the Dominican Republic. Canadian organist Raymond Rickard, who is visiting Santo Domingo from Switzerland specifically for this event, has a Masters in Organ degree from the Juilliard School of Music and a PhD in Organ from Manhattan School of Music. The concert at 8:00 pm on Saturday, 14 October, will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the organ's construction in Eire, Pennsylvania and the 17th anniversary of its transport and installation at the Church of the Epiphany, located on 253 Independencia Avenue in Gazcue, Santo Domingo. Proceeds from the concert will be dedicated by the church to the organ maintenance fund.
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