The various participants left the fourth session of the political dialogue at the National Palace yesterday claiming significant progress in the talks and suggesting that Thursday’s session may bring actual concrete agreements. The "moderators" (not mediators) and official spokesmen for the dialogue, monsignors Agripino N??ez Collado and Francisco Jos? Arn?iz, said that the four-hour session yesterday evening had been "the most productive yet." N??ez Collado said that the delegates from the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) and Reformist-Social Christian Party (PRSC) had "analyzed concrete proposals" and as a result the dialogue "advanced notably in solving the more sensitive points of top agenda items." "Top agenda items" is code for the disputes over the composition of the Central Election Board (JCE) and who should be the Secretary-General (SG) of the Dominican Municipal League (LMD). The priests said that the dialogue participants agreed to convene again on Thursday at 4 pm in order to take advantage of the positive momentum in the talks.The dialogue was an initiative of President Fern?ndez, who proposed that leaders of all three major parties meet with him at the National Palace to resolve their differences in a "historic pact" to guarantee democratic stability and peaceful and fair presidential elections in the year 2000. In addition to the JCE and LMD questions, the dialogue has agreed to discuss (1) the election of the Chamber of Deputies directorate; (2) the selection of the Chamber of Accounts (C?mara de Cuentas); (3) President Fern?ndez’s proposal to convene a Constituent Assembly in May 2001 to reform the Constitution.Questioned by reporters, dialogue participants refused to provide details of yesterday discussions, but all agreed that progress had been made. PRSC leader Donald Reid Cabral characterized yesterday’s session as "extremely fruitful…we are very near an agreement" regarding the LMD. Outgoing PLD SG Lidio Cadet also called yesterday’s session "the most fruitful yet." PRD President Enmanuel Esquea Guerrero said that "The dialogue has been successful…we are advancing on everything."Why the movement? Reporters following all the various players noted that yesterday at noon President Fern?ndez called in PLD delegates Danilo Medina and F?lix Ram?n Jim?nez to his office, reputedly to discuss a draft PLD proposal on the LMD. Shortly thereafter the two were seen entering the home of ex-President Dr. Joaqu?n Balaguer, presumably to explain the proposal to the PRSC head. Meanwhile a PRSC delegation met yesterday with Amable Aristy Castro, the former Reformista Senator for Altagracia Province who was "elected" by one of two national municipal assemblies on January 26th as one of two men contending for the SG post at the LMD [the other assembly "re-elected" PRD candidate Julio Mar??ez Rosario]. PRD has said from the start of the dialogue that a group of eminent persons should be appointed to run the LMD until the courts can sort out who is the proper SG, Aristy Castro or Mar??ez Rosario.
