Beginning their four-year term, President Fernández and his Vice-President Jaime David Fernández Mirabal face the challenge of keeping their campaign promise of change and forming a “new path” for the D.R. One of the most present themes in candidate Fernández’s speeches during the campaign was the fight against corruption, which has been a constant issue touched upon by the PLD and its founder Juan Bosch since the party was created in 1973. Dr. Fernández claimed that RD$30,000 million destined for the benefit of citizens are lost each year due to corruption at almost all levels of government.
Another challenge for the new government will be the financial recovery of state-owned companies such as the Corporación Dominicana de Electricidad (CDE), the corporations that form the group known as CORDE and the Consejo Estatal del Azúcar (CEA). The CDE and the CEA have been of particular concern, since electricity production is vital for progress in almost every area, and the sugar industry has traditionally been one of the main pillars of the Dominican economy.
The reform of the judicial system, which has been harshly criticized from members of all sides of the political spectrum, will also be a priority. The National Council of Magistrates, the body which will choose new Supreme Court judges during Dr. Fernández’s term, is expected to be formed mostly of men who do not share the President’s political views, with congressmen of opposition parties and the chief justice of the current Supreme Court who has never sympathized with the PLD. The PLD has protested the distribution of Supreme Court positions to persons partisan to the political parties as if they were “pieces of a cake”.
Although many observers have predicted difficult times for the new President with a Congress dominated by the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (PRD) and the Partido Reformista Social Cristiano (PRSC), Dr. Fernández said in his inauguration speech that with his pragmatic nature and his call for a “Government of Unity”, he was confident he could work with the opposition to achieve the goals set by his government that will benefit all. Furthermore in his speech he said he would appeal to the majority that has consistently favored the presidential candidate that would bring change and a better government. He was referring to the shuffling of the vote between the PLD, PRSC and PRD during the elections of 1990, 1994 and 1996.