Leading members of the Socialist International (IS) organization are expected to arrive in the Dominican Republic next
week in order to help resolve the internal dispute in the ruling PRD party, according to reports in today’s papers. Former
Spanish head of government Felipe Gonzalez and former Argentine President Raul Alfonsin will form part of a delegation,
headed by SI general secretary Luis Ayala, and Gustavo Caraja. The decision was made at a recent meeting of the SI in
Mexico, said PRD party vice-president Ivelisse Prats de Perez, who appeared on a television interview on the “Revista 110”
program on Channel 13 yesterday. Prats de Perez said that the party leadership had a “distorted perception” of what was
actually happening in Dominican society with regard to the economic problems people are experiencing. While maintaining
that President Hipolito Mejia was not responsible for the country’s economic woes, which she attributed to “external
factors”, Prats de Perez conceded that “in the collective public consciousness the President is to blame.” She attributed
this notion to the individualistic and Presidential culture that ascribes everything, positive or negative, to the
President. The Socialist International is the worldwide organization of social democrat, socialist and labor parties. It
has 141 member political parties and organizations from all continents, including the Dominican Republic’s PRD party.