Accompanied by the Interior and Police Minister and a heavy security contingent, Senator Amable Aristy Castro [Reformista Party (PRSC) – Altagracia] yesterday was led into the headquarters of the Dominican Municipal League (LMD) and sworn into office in a brief, impromptu ceremony. Interior Minister Ram?n Andr?s Blanco Fern?ndez did the swearing in, proclaiming, on his authority, Aristy Castro as the legitimate LMD Secretary-General (SG).The brief show was only the latest installment in a bizarre political drama begun months ago and reaching a crescendo within the past week. Since Aristy Castro announced his candidacy for the position early last autumn, he has claimed the support of the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and to have lined up enough votes to win the SG spot at January 26 elections. The sitting LMD SG, Julio Mar??ez Rosario (Dominican Revolutionary Party – PRD), and PRD allies swore that they would not allow the LMD to leave PRD control. They argued that since PRD won most of the nation’s municipal elections last May, the LMD is rightfully theirs. (Note: Mar??ez himself was elected to the post in 1995 when the PLD allied with his party, with their delegates voting against the PRSC candidate. At the time, the PRSC had the majority of city governments, as the PRD has today.) The PRD has repeatedly accused the PRSC and PLD or buying votes or bullying delegates to the General Municipal Assembly – the body that usually elects the SG – to vote for Aristy Castro. Party spokesmen also pointed out that LMD rules called for the SG candidates to have a university degree, which Aristy Castro does not.At stake in this political battle is the League’s control of 4% of the national budget, currently RD$6 billion (about US$400 million at current exchange rates). PRD wants to retain control of the League, arguing that it is rightfully theirs after they won most of the nation’s municipal elections in 1998. The PRSC, which since the last elections has controlled no major national political institution, sees this post as insurance that it will remain a major political force.On Tuesday, January 26th, the two sides held parallel "assemblies" and elected different SGs. PRD and allied delegates met in Santo Domingo’s Embajador Hotel and "re-elected" Mar??ez Rosario after "nullifying" the designation of Minister Blanco Fern?ndez as President Ex-Officio (and thus convenor) of the Municipal Assembly. PRSC and PLD sympathizers met at the Macorix Hotel in San Pedro de Macor?s and "elected" Aristy Castro after "amending" LMD rules to allow any prominent national politician to stand for the SG position, whether a college graduate or not.Yesterday’s show at LMD headquarters notwithstanding, the battle for control of the LMD is not yet over. It now shifts to the Supreme Court, where PRD lawyers are already filing briefs challenging the legality of Aristy Castro’s election.For his part, Aristy Castro yesterday apologized to the PRD and its allied parties in the Santo Domingo Agreement (ASD) coalition, claiming that he had never intended to offend them by standing for the office. He promised "not to persecute anybody" because of their stance during the political fight, and not to dismiss LMD employees "even if they are botellas," using the Dominican nickname for employees receiving paychecks but whom never work. He also reiterated his pledge to resign as Senator to devote his full energies to the LMD, and to campaign to raise the municipalities’ slice of the national budget to 17%.
