More than 100 mayors, including the mayor of Santo Domingo, called on a greater financial contribution from the central Government for their budgets during a meeting of the Liga Municipal Dominicana (LMD), headed by its Secretary General Julio Marinez. The LMD also resolved to support a bill in the Senate sponsored by the Acuerdo de Santo Domingo coalition, headed by the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (PRD), to automatically allocate 5% of the National Budget to city councils throughout the country beginning in 1997. Mayor Rafael Subervi of Santo Domingo echoed the sentiments of the heads of most city councils when he expressed his frustration at the “paternalism” of the central Government, which he claims has withheld money which should be destined for the local councils.