President-elect Hipólito Mejía met with former President Joaquín Balaguer yesterday at the later’s Máximo Gómez avenue home. According to a report in Hoy newspaper, Hipólito Mejía offered Balaguer the post of Minister of Public Works in his government. Mejía said he would appoint Eduardo Estrella to the post, if agreeable with Balaguer. Estrella was Minister of Public Works in a previous Balaguer administration. Balaguer’s PRSC won the second largest amount of votes in the past presidential election. Balaguer’s not endorsing of the PLD in the first round, as he did in 1996, was considered essential to a PRD win in the first round. Balaguer turned the offer down. He said he preferred that PRSC party members occupy less important positions so as not to compromise his party with the PRD government.
