The fifth session of the political dialogue is due to be convened at the National Palace at 4 pm today amid hopes of a breakthrough. Participants claimed that the last session, on Tuesday, saw significant progress made on the two thorniest political issues, the composition of the Central Election Board (JCE) and who should be the Secretary-General (SG) of the Dominican Municipal League (LMD). Some participants even talked of possible final agreements on these two issues at today’s session. Since then speculation has run rampant in the media and in the streets on just what sort of formula might be on the table for these two disputes. Officially, none of the participants are providing details, although hints and rumors have been leaked. The scenario heard most often would have the JCE expanded from five to six or seven members, while JCE President Morel Cerda would resign in order to take up a diplomatic post in Europe. Yesterday Morel Cerda hotly contested such speculation, saying that he would under no circumstances resign and that there was "no legal way" to make him leave his post. A rumor circulating regarding the LMD would have the Interior and Police Minister or a priest appointed as interim SG of the League until the court cases regarding SG elections are resolved. Former PRSC Senator Amable Aristy Castro, one of the two contenders for the SG post who insists that he won the post in fair elections, has said he would resist stepping down.Yesterday, the two "moderators" (not mediators) and official spokesmen for the dialogue, monsignors Agripino N??ez Collado and Francisco Jos? Arn?iz, warned that final agreements may take longer than optimists would wish and that all Dominicans should have patience with the process.The dialogue was an initiative of President Fern?ndez, who proposed that leaders of all three major parties – the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD, which currently controls Congress) and the Reformist-Social Christian Party (PRSC) – meet with him at the National Palace to resolve their differences in a "patriotic 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.
