Despite his promises last week to do so, Amable Aristy Castro (Reform Party – PRSC) has yet to resign as Senator for Altagracia Province, raising the specter of a new public row about the leadership of the Dominican Municipal League (LMD). The Senate Presidency has reminded Aristy Castro that Article 18 of the Dominican Constitution specifies that Members of Congress must resign their seats when they take another public office. Yesterday Interior and Police Minister Ram?n Andr?s Blanco Fern?ndez agreed that Aristy Castro must resign his Senate seat if he wishes to continue claiming the Secretary-General’s (SG) post at the LMD. Several lawyers as well as Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) leaders have publicly opined that as long Aristy Castro retains both positions, his decisions as LMD SG can be considered as without legal basis and if he does not resign soon, his election and rule can be challenged in court as unconstitutional.On Tuesday, January 26th, two parallel "assemblies" of municipality representatives were held which elected two different SGs. PRD and allied delegates met in Santo Domingo’s Embajador Hotel and "re-elected" Julio Mar??ez Rosario after "nullifying" the designation of Minister Blanco Fern?ndez as President Ex-Officio (and convenor) of the General Municipal Assembly, the body normally charged with electing the organization’s SG. PRSC and Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) sympathizers meanwhile 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 (Aristy Castro does not have a university degree). 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.Aristy Castro is not the first member of Congress to be affected by Article 18. For example, current Vice President Jaime David Fern?ndez Mirabal had to resign as Senator for Salcedo in 1996 in order to become second-in-command of the Fern?ndez Administration. Dr. Altagracia Guzm?n Marcelino had to resign as a federal Deputy in 1997 to become Public Health Minister. Jos? Ram?n Fadul also resigned his seat in 1997 to head CORDE, the government holding company for a number of state-owned enterprises.
