Political kingpin of the East Amable Aristy Castro has been unanimously re-elected as secretary general of the Dominican Municipal League (LMD) for another four years. The Mejia government had given carte blanche to the PRSC to select the candidate and Aristy was appointed to the post in an internal election. The LMD provided an all-expenses-paid weekend for the mayors, vice mayors and other delegates and invited guests to participate in the event at the Bavaro Convention Center to formalize Aristy?s designation. El Caribe reports a cost of RD$3 million to taxpayers in relation to the event.
The LMD has grown to be a quasi fourth branch of the government as a result of the generous funding it receives from the central government. Regardless of the LMD?s expanded budget, its funds are primarily used for political patronage and the payment of wages. The municipalities continue to demand that the government carry out works, for which they now receive ample allocations; allotments to the city governments account for 7 percent of the total national budget revenues.
El Caribe reports that Aristy managed a budget of RD$9 billion in his first four years at the LMD, with no auditing whatsoever. Aristy was elected senator for the province of La Altagracia in the 2002 congressional elections, but resigned after ensuring he would be re-elected to the LMD job. He frankly admitted that the position with the LMD was by far more lucrative than that of a senator.
Aristy has twice been a deputy, four times a senator, and four times the president of the Senate. His use of political patronage opened the door for him to secure his daughter Karina in the post of mayor of Higuey, winning the election with 56 percent of the vote.
In a report from the Listin Diario by Ana Mitila Lora, former vice president Carlos Morales Troncoso says: ?We have fallen into a trap of the PRD that seeks to reduce our possibilities in the 2004 presidential elections.?
PRD presidential candidacy hopeful, Enmanuel Esquea Guerrero, said that in supporting Aristy Castro the PRD has lost its dignity. He recalled that Aristy was appointed by the PLD government over the heads of the PRD, which had the largest number of municipalities at the time.
PRD politician and former Mayor of Santo Domingo Johnny Ventura commented that Aristy entered the LMD in violation of all the rules, citing the fact that Aristy was a senator at the time of his appointment and the city government law that requires that the secretary general of the LMD be a university graduate, which Aristy is not.
