Senator Amable Aristy Castro (PRSC-Altagracia) told reporters last night that he will announce his resignation from the Senate "within hours." Last week Aristy Castro was "elected" Secretary-General (SG) of the Dominican Municipal League (LMD) by one of two parallel national municipal assemblies (a second, run by PRD, "re-elected" peredista Julio Mar??ez Rosario), and then installed (under heavy security guard) in office by Interior Secretary Ram?n Andr?s Blanco Fern?ndez. Upon his election Aristy Castro promised to resign his Senate seat, as required under Article 18 of the Constitution (which specifies that national legislators can not simultaneously serve in another public post). However, a week later, with no resignation in sight, Senate and PRD spokesmen protested and several lawyers opined that until he did leave the Senate, his LMD decisions may be considered without legal effect. The source of Aristy Castro’s delay has not been explained: some acquaintances suggest that he did not want to resign until it was clear that a PRSC member would be appointed to his vacated Senate seat, and the party had decided who that would be; others suggest he was hesitant to renounce his Senate post until the legal challenge to his LMD leadership was resolved. Yesterday Aristy Castro accompanied PRSC leaders on their consultation with party leader Dr. Balaguer in Miami. Officially Aristy Castro went to report to Dr. Balaguer on the LMD battle, but it is widely believed he also sought Balaguer’s counsel on the resignation issue. Speaking upon his return at Herrera Airport, Aristy Castro declared that he would resign "within hours," that the list of possible replacements had been narrowed, and the PRD-controlled Senate "is obligated" to accept whomever PRSC designates to fill his seat.
