El Caribe newspaper continues to report on the congressional manipulation of electoral districts (“gerrymandering”) to benefit the party in power. If all proposed motions are approved, the size of government would increase by one third, reports the newspaper.
PRD deputy Radhames Gonzalez is confident that Congress will pass his motion to create three more provinces – Santo Domingo East, Santo Domingo North and Santo Domingo West this week. According to the newspaper, however, the creation of two more provinces is being lobbied for – Esperanza (Valverde) and Villa Riva (Duarte). Furthermore, the newspaper says there are bills in Congress that would create 22 municipalities and 70 municipal districts, a move that would call for five more senate seats and 22 city governments, in addition to hundreds of councilors, and other government posts that would be created as a result of the political manipulation of geography.
El Caribe also reports that Congress has received proposals to create the municipalities of Juan Dolio, Cristobal, Jaquimeyes, Fundacion, Pueblo Viejo, Sabana Yegua, Tabara Arriba, Uvilla, Los Alcarrizos, Guerra, Pedro Brand, La Victoria and Los Cacaos, Sabana Perdida, San Jose de Mendoza, Peralvillo, Maizal, Guatapanal and Mella. The new provinces, municipalities and districts mean more lucrative jobs for those with political influence.
“This is going to make a bigger state as each territorial division calls for new government bodies, new officers and spending, and there will be little left over for capital investments and social spending,” said Professor Faustino Collado. “When a territory is divided, the same centralism that prevails in government remains. The new area is not going to have the same resources – all that occurs is a distribution of poverty. There is no real administrative reform or decentralization.”
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