DR1 Daily News - Monday, 8 July 2019

D

Dolores

Guest
JCE announces voter count for 2020 general election
Politics and election spending have limits set by JCE
Speculation continues whether Medina will seek his third term
DR Embassy opens in Antigua and Barbuda
Infectious disease doctors warn of the high cost of treatments
ACIS: Fire Department funds handled with transparency
Only half of on foot population uses public transport
Persio Maldonado: Attorney General Office certified tender was bribe-free
Joel Santos is new chair of BVRD
Bullets found on Laser flight cause delays at Las Americas International
DR wins Hoerman Cup, second in George Teale Cup



JCE announces voter count for 2020 general election
The Central Electoral Board (JCE) reported on the voting lists the two leading political parties in the Dominican Republic will be using for the primaries to choose the party candidates for the 2020 general elections.

The leading opposition party, the Revolutionary Modern Party (PRM) submitted the list of PRM members that are eligible to vote in the party primaries on 6 October 2019. Some 1,303,779 voters are registered to vote.

The ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) chose to carry out open primaries, meaning any Dominican citizen is eligible to vote in the primaries on 6 October.

Other political parties need to choose their candidates before 27 October 2019. These can be selected by results of polls or delegates assembly, among other modalities by the parties that decided not to participate in the 6 October primaries that are organized by the JCE.

As of the 7 July deadline, the PLD list is of 7,422,416 voters, of which 3,793,641 are women and 3,628,775 are men.

The municipal elections are scheduled for 16 February 2020 and the presidential and congressional elections will be on 17 May 2020. Some 4,113 elective posts need to be filled. These include 3,849 municipal posts.

https://n.com.do/2019/07/06/la-jce-...n-7-4-millones-de-electores-en-sus-primarias/
http://z101digital.com/prm-deposita...illon-303-mil-militantes-de-cara-a-primarias/
https://n.com.do/2019/07/06/el-prm-entrega-a-la-jce-su-padron-con-un-millon-303-mil-779-militantes/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...nderazo-de-la-jce-se-inicia-hoy-la-precampana


Politics and election spending have limits set by JCE
Those aspiring to become presidential candidates in the 2020 elections must limit their expenses to RD$519.4 million; those seeking a seat in the Senate are limited to spending as much as RD$99 million, and those seeking a mayor seat in one of the provincial capitals can only spend RD$42.6 million.

The origin and the use of these funds must be reported to the Central Electoral Board (JCE). Each candidate is responsible for the accounting and reporting of his or her funding, while the JCE will supervise these expenditures.

The JCE has used a calculation of RD$70.00 for each registered voter as of 30 June 2019. With 7, 420,900 voters, this totals the RD$519.5 million for the presidency. The JCE used RD$60.00 for voters for senators, RD$50.00 for mayors and RD$25.00 for city council members.

Article 49 of the Law on Political Parties establishes the perquisites to run for office if you have the money.

The JCE reported that as of the cut on 7 July 2019, 7,422,416 Dominicans are eligible to vote in the 2020 general election.

https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...limitar-gastos-a-rd-519-4-millones-II13287582
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...mpana-donde-habra-tope-de-gastos-para-aspiran
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...ar-para-las-primarias-al-corte-del-7-de-julio
https://jce.gob.do/


Speculation continues on whether Medina will seek his third term
President Danilo Medina is currently serving his second term as President of the Dominican Republic. For more than a year, there has been speculation that he could well run (and win) a third consecutive term.

The 2015 Constitution, nevertheless prohibits Medina from running in the 2020 general election. However, changing the Constitution is not very difficult in the DR, especially if you control the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate with nearly overwhelming majorities. The Medina administration is said to control the Judicial Branch. President Medina recently presided over an overhaul of the Supreme Court of Justice, with the National Council of the Magistracy naming a former high-ranking PLD party director to preside the Supreme Court of Justice.

Diario Libre published a series of indicators capturing grounds for the recent speculation. First, Reinaldo Pared Pérez, the Senate president, revealed that the President had told him that he had still not decided to run or not. Pared Pérez had held several meetings with Medina and former President Leonel Fernandez, who also wants to be the candidate for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD). Fernandez and his followers are wholly opposed to any change in the Constitution that would enable Medina to run once again.

Second, Diario Libre points out that the Administrative Minister of the Presidency, José Ramón Peralta had revealed last week the results of several surveys that showed voters approve of the Medina government. There were also many statements by Medina's supporters. These have gone so far to say that if the votes were not there in the first instance, they would be "obtained" in short order. This is interpreted as a veiled reference to the purchase of the votes needed to change the Constitution.

Third, Diario Libre focuses on the recent meetings between the nation's industrial and economic leadership and the echelons of the Dominican Bishops Conference of the Catholic Church. The A-list invitees to the Presidential Palace "cordially discussed" different issues pending on the Dominican political scene. There were scant reports beyond photo-op pictures in the local newspapers.

Previously, the bishops had issued a pastoral letter warning that the country was on the road to a dictatorship. However, the President told reporters after the meeting that they talked about the tourism industry that had taken several significant hits in the international media due to the deaths of US citizens when vacationing at eastern resorts.

The media is also focusing on the parading of invitees from the world of entertainment, which included influencers with monikers such as "Alofoke", who , incidentally, was deported from the United States and who has a large following among young Dominicans on various media outlets and who wants to run for the Chamber of Deputies. This is seen as an attempt by the President to gain access to the nation's youth.

A fourth point is the daily insistence on reelection by Medina's closest advisors and cabinet members, such as Peralta himself, Public Works Minister Gonzalo Castillo, and Public Administration Minister Ramon Ventura Camejo, who are in daily contact with the President.

Finally, there are the constant statements by several members of the legislature, who seem to defy public opinion in their remarks whereby votes to amend the Constitution would be obtained "by any means possible."

One of the most outrageous statements to come out on national television was the one by Interior & Police Minister Ramon "Monchi" Fadul, who said he does not want to change the Constitution. Fadul says that the President "only wants to remove a paragraph." In 2015, to get former President Leonel Fernandez to agree to his seeking reelection, a transitory clause was included in the 2015 Constitution that specifically bans Medina from seeking a third term.

https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...ina-podria-optar-por-la-reeleccion-FJ13290072


DR Embassy opens in Antigua and Barbuda
Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas traveled to Antigua for the formal opening of the Dominican Embassy in St. John's. During the event, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, ratified the will of their governments to continue consolidating bilateral ties.

In Antigua, Vargas signed an air services agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Risk Management and Disasters at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Relations in that nation's capital. The MOU was signed to address the frequent natural disasters in the Caribbean. Trade, Commerce, Industry, Sports, Culture and National Festivals Minister E.P. Chet Greene signed for Antigua and Barbuda. The parties favored increased trade and cooperation in areas that positively impact both countries.

"For the Dominican Republic, the strengthening of relations with the countries of the region is very important," said Vargas, who pointed out that between 10 and 15% of the population of Antigua is of Dominican origin.

Among other issues, Vargas also raised interest in the former airline LIAT resuming flights to Dominican territory.

In addition, he thanked Prime Minister Browne for donating the land where the definitive headquarters of the Dominican Embassy in St. John's will be built. The embassy is located at Jasmine Court on Friars Hill Road. The Dominican ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda is Raquel Jacobo.

During the event, Greene said: "The opening of the embassy is a step forward for Antigua and Barbuda and the Dominican Republic who share ties of geography and history, noting that today a significant number of Dominican Republic nationals reside in Antigua and Barbuda."

He further noted that, since the 1920s, Antiguans migrated to the DR to work in the sugar plantations and many have remained there."

Greene disclosed that his grandfather was one of those who journeyed to the DR and today he has discovered members of his family living in the Spanish-speaking country.

Greene also mentioned that Antigua and Barbuda would have interest in the DR's well-developed institute to train diplomats which he learned of on his visit in May. This, he said, would help "to produce a cadre of young, trained diplomats to man the diplomatic services."

The air services and MOU signed are in addition to three other instruments signed on 27 May when Greene visited Santo Domingo.

https://antiguaobserver.com/dr-embassy-opens-in-antigua-and-barbuda/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/07...uda-acuerdan-reforzar-relaciones-bilaterales/


Infectious disease doctors warn of high cost of treatments
The Dominican Society for Infectious Diseases warned the public about the high cost of treating Candidiasis, the skin fungi that can be picked up in intensive care units. Dr. Rita Rojas, for the medical society, told reporters from El Nacional newspaper that the cost of treatment could reach RD$25,000 per day.

The fungal infection occurs when there are irritants such as heat, humidity or friction of two skin surfaces. Dr. Rojas says the spread of the fungi is common and alerted that invasive Candidiasis is very dangerous and can be fatal without treatment. This sort of event can occur after abdominal surgery, and in patients with kidney or lung issues who receive immune-suppressants or drugs that compromise their immune system.

https://elnacional.com.do/sociedad-...os-costos-en-infeccion-generada-por-el-calor/
https://www.sdird.org/


ACIS: Fire Department funds handled with transparency
The Association of Merchants and Industrialists of Santiago (ACIS) defended its handling of the funds that enter the private sector Santiago city board to support the fire department. During a press conference, Sandy Filpo, the president of the leading Santiago business board, told reporters that RD$600,000 that is received by the board each month from government subsidies and the proceeds from refilling fire extinguishers is used to feed the firemen and repair the fire trucks.

Filpo provided a detailed list of monthly expenditures that he says is not enough to improve the situation of the firemen. He said the lack of support has lead to widespread desertions from the department.

In an attempt to explain the recent questioning regarding the expenditures of the money received by the board, Filpo explained that this is probably because the municipal delegate has not been participating in the board meetings. Filpo noted that recent fundraising activities have enabled them to purchase a new fire truck.

https://elcaribe.com.do/2019/07/05/panorama/region-norte/acis-defiende-transparencia-en-patronato/


Only half of on foot population uses public transport
A recent poll by the National Ground Transport and Transit Institute (Intrant) reveals that around 50% of the population use public transport. The conclusion comes from the Permanent Observatory of Road Safety (Observatorio Permanente de Seguridad Vial - Opsevi). Intrant says that a poll carried out by the Agencia Francesa de Desarrollo in Greater Santo Domingo reveals that only 30% of Greater Santo Domingo population uses public transport every day.

https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...o-de-transporte-de-los-dominicanos-OB13303296


Persio Maldonado: Attorney General Office certified tender was bribe-free
Persio Maldonado, the president of the Dominican Society of Daily Newspapers, says that the Attorney General Office presented a certificate to the members of the Official Commission designated by President Danilo Medina to review the Odebrecht-Punta Catalina contract that eventually established no bribes had been paid. At the time the Attorney General Office had received the file from Brazilian prosecutors on the operation of Odebrecht in the Dominican Republic. The file included operations of the Structured Operations Division of Odebrecht that was located in Santo Domingo.

Maldonado was a member of the commission that President Medina designated to investigate the tender by which the Punta Catalina contract was awarded. The certificate, that was issued at the request of the official commission, certified that during the tender procedures for the thermoelectric power plant, as per what was revealed by Odebrecht, bribes were not paid. The certificate did say that bribes were paid for the approval of the contract in Congress.

Maldonado said the commission did not have mechanisms to determine if someone had received money to vote in favor of Odebrecht. He made the observations when interviewed by Hector Herrera Cabral for D'Agenda TV show on Channel 11. Maldonado is the publisher of El Nuevo Diario.

He said the members of the commission named by President Medina were asked to determine if the contracting procedure met with the requirements established by Public Procurement Law 340-06. He said in the conclusions of the report, the commission recommended that the attorney general investigate if bribes had been paid during the tender procedure. Maldonado said that the members of the commission, as all citizens, had the same concern regarding how could Punta Catalina come clean if bribes had been paid in the case of all the other Odebrecht contracts signed in the country.

"Let's not forget that these files that are coming out now, are the files that were outside of the regular company control mechanisms. The investigations correspond to the Attorney General's Office because we did not have the power to prosecute anyone criminally," argued Maldonado.

Maldonado made the remarks after the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) revealed evidence that at least US$39 million in transfers related to a thermoelectric power plant were made by the Structured Operations Division of Odebrecht, the same division that handled bribes for securing Odebrecht contract work in the Dominican Republic and other countries. Code names have been linked so far to three individuals -- Andy Dauhajre, Gregory Salcedo and Jose Manuel Guzman Ibarra. Dauhajre and Salcedo have stated the payments received through the offshore companies were for their professional services.

https://hoy.com.do/caso-odebrecht-r...ue-no-se-entrego-sobornos-por-punta-catalina/
https://acento.com.do/2019/politica/8702363-8702363/
https://www.icij.org/investigations...alps-of-two-top-dominican-republic-officials/
https://www.icij.org/investigations/bribery-division/watch-inside-odebrechts-secret-files/


Joel Santos is new chair of BVRD
The Santo Domingo Stock Market (BVRD) promoted its vice president Joel Santos Echavarría to chairman. Upon accepting the position, Santos stated: "From this new role, I reiterate my commitment to maintaining the agenda that the Board of Directors has been working on, hand in hand with the executive team of the BVRD, thus continuing with to support the growth and consolidation of the country's stock market," he said.

Santos replaces Gregory Salcedo Llibre who last week resigned from the BVRD after his name was linked to the Odebrecht bribes scandal by new revelations by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

He added that the organization has more than 30 years advancing the development of the country's stock market, which in addition to the Board of Directors responds to shareholders representing the main financial institutions of the country. Last week Gregory Salcedo Llibre resigned from the BVRD.

https://listindiario.com/economia/2019/07/08/573162/joel-santos-es-el-nuevo-presidente-de-la-bvrd


Bullets found on Laser flight cause delays at Las Americas International
After four bullets for a 380-caliber pistol were detected in a Laser flight from Caracas, Venezuela, passengers who got off the plane at Las Americas International Airport were re-inspected before they were able to board connecting flights to Miami, Florida on Friday, 5 July 2019.

The director of the Specialized Airport and Civil Aviation Security Corps (Cesac), Brigade General Aracelis Castillo de la Cruz said that no other ammunition was found, but the inspection caused about a one-and-a-half-hour-long delay and affected some 800 passengers. The passengers were booked to board JetBlue flight to New York, Spirit flights to Fort Lauderdale, and Blue Panorama to Antigua & Barbuda.

A large number of Venezuelans connect in Santo Domingo when traveling to the United States after non-stop flights from Venezuela to the US were discontinued.

The ammunitions were discovered around 5pm on Saturday, but the authorities as of Sunday, 7 July had not reported if any person is under arrest.

https://hoy.com.do/se-registran-atr...jeros-tras-hallazgo-de-municiones-en-el-aila/
https://hoy.com.do/encuentran-armas-vuelo-venezuela-iba-para-miami/
https://elnacional.com.do/hallazgo-de-4-balas-retuvo-vuelos-aila/


DR wins Hoerman Cup, second in George Teale Cup
Home team Dominican Republic (1153 points) won the Hoerman Cup by 20 shots, defeating the Puerto Rican team (1173 points). Cayman Islands was third (1201). Seven countries competed at The Links golf course in Casa de Campo, La Romana. Participating in the competition were The Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago and host Dominican Republic.

This is the fourth Hoerman Cup won by the Dominican team in the past five years.
Juan José Delgado was the best player, followed by Enrique Valverde, also of the Dominican Republic, in second.

In the George Teale Cup, the women's team was second with 605 points. Puerto Rico was first with 576 and Trinidad & Tobago was third.

https://www.diariolibre.com/deportes/golf/republica-dominicana-conquista-la-hoerman-cup-FB13300533