DR1 Daily News - Monday, 14 October 2019

D

Dolores

Guest
Tests begin on Punta Catalina Unit 2
JCE declares Gonzalo Castillo and Luis Abinader winners of primaries
What will be Leonel Fernández's next move?
Fraud is in the system, not the result
Central Bank releases more legal reserves to stimulate the economy
Dominican Navy releases baby Green Turtles
MINERD to repair schools during December break
Isabela and Ozama almost ready to go
CAASD has water; Santiago does not
DR consumes millions of plantains and thousands of pounds of coffee each day
Santiago gets a public parking garage
Over 500 multi-births in first six months of 2019
Police break up car theft ring
Dominicans to match USA in Continental Championship
Estrellas, Escogido and Gigantes win in opening of Baseball Championship



Tests begin on Punta Catalina Unit 2
President Danilo Medina headed the synchronization of Unit 2 of the Punta Catalina Thermoelectric Central (CTCP) on Friday, 10 October 2019. The coal-fired generator is now in its test phase for integration to the system, according to a press release from the Dominican Electricity Corporation (CDEEE). The CDEEE says that Unit 1 is already injecting 376 megawatts into the national power grid.

The CDEEE expects the entire power central will be operational, contributing a nominal 752 megawatts to the electricity system by January 2020.

The executive vice-president of the CDEEE, Rubén Jiménez Bichara and the administrator of CTCP, Jaime Aristy Escuder accompanied President Danilo Medina on his visit to Punta Catalina. The President received explanations from the technicians in charge of the synchronization tests.

Construction of the power plant began in 2014. Tests of Unit 1 started in February 2019.

https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...a-segunda-unidad-central-termoelectrica-punta
https://www.mairetecnimont.com/en/business-operations/power/punta-catalina-coal-thermal-power-plant
https://issuu.com/acento6/docs/informepuntacatalinacompletofinal-1


JCE declares Gonzalo Castillo and Luis Abinader winners of primaries
In a plenary session on Saturday, 12 October 2019, the Central Electoral Board (JCE) declared the winners of the 6 October 2019 primaries carried out by the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM). The JCE announced 58-year old Gonzalo Castillo won the PLD primaries and 52-year old Luis Abinader the PRM primaries.

The definitive vote count for the pre-candidates who participated in the simultaneous primaries was published. The JCE released the numbers for the manual count at the presidential level of the PLD in all 7,372 voting stations in 157 municipalities and the National District.

The PLD primary vote was contested and a manual count was called. The new count is 911,324 votes for Gonzalo Castillo and 884,630 for Leonel Fernández, for a difference of 26,694 votes. This compared to the automated vote count of 911,923 votes to Fernandez's 885,233. In the manual count, Fernandez received 603 fewer votes and Castillo received 599 fewer votes. The manual count prevails over the automated vote count.

Fernández had contested the earlier results that had put Gonzalo Castillo in the lead with 26,690 votes.

The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) had ruled against a legal motion submitted by Leonel Fernández last week. The former three-term President had asked the TSE to stop the JCE from declaring Gonzalo Castillo the winner of the primary until an forensic technical audit to the voting machines was carried out. The TSE ruled there are no irreparable damages to the declaration because Fernandez is in his right to impugn the results, but these first needed to be announced. As of Saturday, 12 October 2019, none of the Fernández delegates of the 7, 372voting stations had not formalized a claim of fraud at the presidential level.

Contrary to the challenges to the results in the PLD, in the PRM former President Hipólito Mejía almost immediately conceded defeat to Luis Abinader and announced he would support his candidacy. Those elections reported ended with Abinader receiving 283,393 votes for 74.11%, and Mejía 80,951 votes for 21.17%. The PRM primary was restricted only to registered members of the political party.

Meanwhile, former Minister of Public Works Gonzalo Castillo announced after the declaration by the JCE on the manual vote count totals that "this victory of the new blood is also a triumph of respect, decency and humility."

https://hoy.com.do/jce-concluyo-con...ncial-en-las-primarias-gonzalo-es-el-ganador/
https://hoy.com.do/jce-proclama-a-gonzalo-castillo-y-luis-abinader-ganadores-primarias-simultaneas/
https://hoy.com.do/vea-aqui-todos-l...s-en-las-primarias-simultaneas-del-pld-y-prm/
https://eldia.com.do/gonzalo-esta-v...riunfo-del-respeto-la-decencia-y-la-humildad/


What will be Leonel Fernández's next move?
The Central Electoral Board (JCE) declared Gonzalo Castillo as the ruling party presidential candidate in the May 2020 election. There is speculation on what options are open to President Leonel Fernández. He could accept defeat and join efforts to ensure the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) wins the next elections. Most say the political cost of his abandoning the party would be too high.

Meanwhile, his supporters have said they will continue to insist with legal actions to impugn the candidacy of Castillo. The Fernandez team insists that an independent technical forensic audit the automated voting system.

Electoral history in the Dominican Republic is not on the side of the former President. Cases of allegations of fraud have been filed away, even at times when proof of fraud was presented.

It is not that Fernandez can run for another party, either. The Political Parties Law 33-18 bans aspirants to candidacies from switching political parties after losing.

Section 4 of Article 49 specifies: "It is necessary that the candidate for a particular electoral event, representing a party, group or political movement, have not participated as a candidate for another party for the same electoral event." In other words, by law he could not run for another party. Several political parties have until 27 October to choose their presidential candidates.

Likewise, the ruling of the JCE also states that those who lose in a political party internal election may not run for another party in the 2020 elections.

There is speculation Fernández could covertly or overtly back Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) presidential candidate Luis Abinader. Fernández's efforts to ban constitutional reform in Congress already had received the backing of Abinader. This support was crucial to impede the passing of a constitutional amendment that would have enabled President Danilo Medina to run for a third term. When he was impeded to run, Medina chose Gonzalo Castillo to run for his faction.

Abinader is open to an alliance. He recently told journalists that he has not met with Leonel Fernandez on the matter. Nevertheless, he stated: "We are evaluating everything. Anyone who wants change can accompany us."

In regards to allegations of fraud in the primary made precisely by Fernández's group, Abinader explained that the PRM is carrying out an assessment to present to the country.

Former President Leonel Fernández was scheduled to speak at 10pm on Sunday, 13 October 2019. The speech was then delayed for 11pm.

Political analysts recall that the PLD was founded after Juan Bosch and his followers split with José Francisco Peña Gómez of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), at that time the leading opposition party. The PRD would divide again, with former President Hipólito Mejía and Luís Abinader leaving to form the PRM in in time for the 2016 election. In that election, Abinader lost to President Danilo Medina.

https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2019/10/12/586558/leonel-ante-crucial-dilema
https://hoy.com.do/el-prm-salva-las-primarias-del-dinero-que-dejan-al-pld-al-borde-de-la-division/
https://eldia.com.do/el-pld-transita-un-acelerado-camino-hacia-la-division-por-las-primarias/
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...e-quiera-cambio-puede-acompanarnos-NK14699141


Fraud is in the system, not the result
Fraud is not the result, fraud is the system, wrote Ines Aizpun, managing editor of Diario Libre on 10 October 2019. In the editorial, she focused on how Dominican taxpayers have had to pay RD$3 billion to help political parties choose their candidates.

"They are primary elections. It's not the general elections, even though the tantrum of the loser has spread the electoral fraud syndrome to an entire country. Before it was the sticks and the theft of ballot boxes, now the algorithm," she writes.

"Fraud is not the result, it is the system. The money that candidates must move to appear on party lists. The money to move people to vote, the purchase of ballots (system as rudimentary as improbable)... That is what makes this democracy undemocratic," says the editorialist.

"Yes, it is true that the reality that the state sometimes helps a candidate to win and at other times prevents the triumph is a problem. That is a fraud. Sometimes we like it, and sometimes we don't..." she concludes.

https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/am/el-fraude-JA14631109


Central Bank releases more legal reserves to stimulate economy
The Central Bank removed sectorial restrictions on RD$12.03 billion in legal reserves now cleared for lending by banks. The Central Bank authorized the funds to be used for home mortgages up to RD$15 million. In addition to home mortgages, the funds were cleared for exports, manufacturing, agriculture, commerce, small and medium-sized enterprises, consumer loans, and purchase of vehicles.

Recently, the Central Bank had cleared RD$22.32 billion from legal reserve restrictions to stimulate the economy.

https://www.bancentral.gov.do/a/d/4...llones-el-monto-de-los-prestamos-hipotecarios


Dominican Navy releases baby Green Turtles
The Armada of the Dominican Republic (Navy), in coordination with the Officers' Wives Association, released some 105 newborn sea turtles into the Caribbean Sea last week. The variety was the Green Turtle, one of several endangered species that comes ashore on the island of Hispaniola to lay its eggs. Sea Scouts (scouts marinos) were also present at the ceremony, as part of the team from the National Aquarium.

This latest release is part of an on-going operation of protecting and releasing recently hatched turtles of three endangered species: the Giant Leatherback, the Carey, and the Green Turtle.

The release took place at the Sans Souci Naval Station in Santo Domingo. Eggs that were laid on the beaches near the Naval Officers Club in Sans Souci in eastern Santo Domingo are dug up and taken to the National Aquarium for incubation and hatching. The beaches in Sans Souci are the only on the island where all three endangered species lay eggs.

The Navy even posts guards at the locations where the turtles lay their eggs for them not to be disturbed.

On the North Coast, there are sporadic civilian efforts to protect the eggs of turtles that come to the many beaches in the area every year.

Recently United States ambassador Robin Bernstein participated in the release of another batch of hatchlings together with the commandant of the Armada.

Female sea turtles return to where they were hatched to lay eggs. Only 1 in 1,000 baby sea turtles survive to adulthood.

https://elnacional.com.do/armada-libera-105-tortugas-de-la-especie-verde/
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...chelonia-mydas-en-playa-sans-souci-OF14666787


MINERD to repair schools during December break
The director of School Maintenance for the Ministry of Education (MINERD) has announced that they are extending tenders for the repairs needed on some 500 public schools in the Dominican Republic. The repairs are planned for the Christmas vacations. Cedeño said that hundreds of schools will benefit from the repairs, garden work and new paint.

Adolfo Cedeño, the engineer in charge of all of this work, also told reporters that a tender for some RD$1.5 billion will choose contractors for preparing "hundreds" of schools for the extended school hours programs. The schools will get a kitchen and cafeteria area, new annexes for more classes, bathrooms and sports facilities. The Minerd says that it has covered 75% of the school population with the new Extended School Day program.

https://eldia.com.do/educacion-dice...s-navidenas-para-reparar-mas-de-500-escuelas/


Isabela and Ozama almost ready to go
The water treatment plant designed to clean up much of the sewer waters that usually end up raw in the Isabela and Ozama rivers is expected to go into operation next month. According to the Santo Domingo Water and Sewer Corporation (CAASD), the project will benefit some 450,000 persons in the north part of the National District and part of Santo Domingo province.

CAASD boss, Alejandro Montas says the civil engineering parts of the pumping station have been completed. Workers are now installing six pumps of 478 hp each. A 6 MW power station is ready. A huge, 48" pipe that is 240 m long connects the pumping station with the treatment plant.

This water treatment plant is one of the largest projects undertaken by the Medina administration. The plant will process 27,000 gallons of sewage a day.

https://eldia.com.do/gobierno-entregara-en-noviembre-proximo-planta-de-tratamiento-del-rio-ozama/


CAASD has water; Santiago does not
The Santo Domingo Water and Sewage Corporation (CAASD) announced that it has managed to re-establish water supply to 18 sectors of the National District affected by the breakage of a 60" pipe broke in Engombe in West Santo Domingo. Alejandro Montas, the CAASD director, told reporters that the 18 sectors, located to the north of Independencia and 30 de Mayo avenues are now again receiving water.

The broken pipe was located in front of the Aprezio supermarket. It receives water from the Haina-Manoguayabo system. Montas noted that water supply had been reduced to 345 million gallons a day from its peak of 363 million gallons. He said that by the weekend, the water supply should reach 370 million.

Meanwhile, in Santiago de los Caballeros, the rupture of a 30” pipeline that supplies water to the Bella Vista sector has deprived the entire portion of the city south of the Yaque River of any water. According to sources at the Santiago Water and Sewer Corporation (Coraasan), the pipes are among some of the oldest in the city and did not resist the surge water pressure caused by recent rains.

Given the continuous breakage in the water pipes, Coraasan is seriously thinking of replacing them all, at the cost of RD$200 million. Most of these pipes were installed in the 1970s and have outlived their scheduled service life.

https://elnacional.com.do/caasd-afirma-restablece-suministro-agua/
https://elnacional.com.do/varios-sectores-de-santiago-sin-suministro-agua/


DR consumes millions of plantains and thousands of pounds of coffee each day
Agriculture Minister Osmar Benitez spoke on the state of Dominican coffee farming during an event held at the Technological Catholic University of Barahona (UCATEBA). He said that the country consumes seven million plantains and 340,000 quintals of coffee each day.

Minister Osmar Benitez noted that there are 1,500,000 tareas (100,000 ha) of coffee planted in the Dominican Republic and there is room for lots more. He said that just the private sector has planted 50,000 tareas of new coffee plants. He explained that in the southwestern Barahona region there are 400,000 tareas of coffee. The Enriquillo region has some of the most productive coffee plantations.

The minister also added that the Dominican Coffee Institute is creating a registry of the 28,000 coffee producers throughout the country as a way of documenting the reality of the nation's coffee production. According to the International Coffee Organization, the Dominican Republic is recognized as one of the top five coffee-producing nations in the world.

https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/10...lones-de-platano-y-340-mil-quintales-de-cafe/


Santiago gets a public parking garage
Puerto Plata troubadour Juan Lockward wrote a ballad on Santiago that contemporary singers will frequently include when performing in the city. One part of the song says, "Now Santiago has something it did not have….." and the singers fill in the blank with a tribute to a new store or building, or whatever.

Well, now Santiago has a six-story parking garage, something that is extremely rare in this country. Located at the corner of Restauración and Cuba streets, the facility can hold as many as 600 vehicles. At present the first four floors are open for business. Visitors and workers at the Clinica Corominas across the street promptly put the private garage to use. Plans are to raise the garage to eight stories, but city approval is still pending.

Inner-city congestion of Santiago is reaching gridlock proportions. This new garage is relieving some of the strain. Plans for another two large garages are in the works, but just where to build them is far from certain. One location, the historic San Luis Fort was suggested but rejected. Many of the typical historical houses in the central part of the city—between Plaza Valerio and Juan Pablo Duarte, and between the river and Las Carreras Avenue—have been destroyed to make way for public parking in the vacant lots.

https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/10/11/parqueo-publico-da-respiro-a-la-ciudad/


Over 500 multi-births in first six months of 2019
The public hospitals of the Dominican Republic have received a total of 532 multiple births during the first six months of this year. As of August, the three main maternity hospitals in Greater Santo Domingo have recorded 267 sets of twins and 5 sets of triplets or more.

Over the past 15 years, Dominican medical records show the births of two sextuplets, born on December 2005 at the General Hospital at the Plaza de la Salud, with all surviving, and in 2015, at the Reynaldo Almanzar in the Ciudad Sanitaria in which five babies survived. As of August, the Reynaldo Almanzar Hospital had covered 90 births of twins and one of more than two. The San Lorenzo Maternity Hospital in Los Mina has registered 71 sets of twins and one set of triplets. At the Altagracia Maternity Hospital, the largest in the Caribbean, 108 multi-births of twins and more were recorded.

International standards indicate that one in every 250 pregnancies can be twins, one in every 10,000 might be triplets and one in every 700,000 pregnancies might be quads. According to doctors, fertility treatments are the leading cause of a multiple pregnancy.

https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2019/10/12/586540/hospitales-practicaron-532-partos-multiples


Police break up car theft ring
The National Police arrested a gang headed by deportees from the United States that specialized in selling stolen vehicles. The Police arrested seven members of the gang and seized 11 stolen vehicles in their possession. There are five members still at large. Juan Ubaldo, 38, (a.k.a. Danny) was the leader of the group, and he had been deported from the United States after serving a sentence for vehicular theft and falsification of documents.

The gang members would locate vehicles, take pictures and send the images to Jairo Daniel, a locksmith in Santiago. Daniel would then locate on the Internet the design of the necessary key and make a copy, collecting between RD$3,500 and RD$4,000 for his efforts.

Once the leaders had the key, they would elect the thieves for the particular job. Once stolen, the vehicle was taken to Santiago where a gang member served as the "car dealer" and found buyers for the stolen vehicle. The thieves would receive between RD$80,000 and RD$100,000 per job. The car dealer, known as "Ronny", is still on the loose and is wanted by the authorities. The other members of the gang that have been apprehended will be sent to the Justice Department for processing.

https://eldia.com.do/policia-desart...a-a-la-comercializacion-de-vehiculos-robados/


Dominicans defeat USA in Continental Championship
The Dominican women’s volleyball team won the NORCECA Women’s Continental Championship on Sunday, 13 October 2019 at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The "Caribbean Queens" won against the United States 3-2 (25-19, 25-23, 15-25, 20-25, 15-9).

This was the fourth title match between the Dominican Republic and United States (2011, 2013, 2015, 2019). The US had won on the previous three occasions. The Dominican team had lost to the USA team in the preliminary round but won all other matches.

Brayelin Martínez, who scored 20 points on 20 kills and four blocks in the game against the USA was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

To play the finals, the DR defeated Puerto Rico on Saturday, 3-2 (19-25, 25-14, 26-24, 21-25, 15-8).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-Ev_R_yHmM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ7mawn4g1c

http://www.norceca.net/Dominicans to clash United States in NORCECA title match.htm
https://listindiario.com/el-deporte...-usa-y-se-coronan-en-el-norceca-en-cinco-sets
http://www.norceca.net/Dominicans win NORCECA Title in five thrilling sets to USA.htm
http://www.norceca.net/Brayelin Martinez MVP at NORCECA Women’s Continental Championship.htm


Estrellas, Escogido and Gigantes win in opening of Baseball Championship
The defending Estrellas Orientales, the Leones del Escogido and the Gigantes del Cibao won the opening games for the Dominican Professional Winter Baseball Championship on Saturday, 12 October 2019. In San Pedro de Macorís, Evan McClane pitched five innings for the Estrellas, giving the team a head start to win 5-0 against the Toros del Este.

Frankie Montas pitched five innings and was the winning pitcher in the game the Escogido Lions won over the Licey Tigers in Santo Domingo 7-3 runs.

In San Francisco de Macorís, the Gigantes del Cibao delighted their fans with an opening winning game 4-3.

http://www.lidom.com/home/calendario/
https://www.diariolibre.com/deporte...ogido-y-gigantes-ganan-en-apertura-FC14700041