A former Army chief says that instead of improving the ranks of the military, President Mejia has discriminated and degraded the force. Retired Major General Jose Eliseo Noble Espejo says that the President has violated the institutionalism within the military, showing a lack of respect for rank and favoring certain groups in detriment to others. Noble Espejo spoke on the Hoy Mismo Channel 9 TV talk program. As reported in El Nacional, the army veteran said the President is responsible for the fact that today the high-level military instruct their ranks to campaign for a particular candidate. He said in doing so, they ?disregard the sacred mission that is to defend the Dominican state? and become divided through their politicization. Noble Espejo reminded that the military do not serve a government or a group, but rather the nation.
As a result of a number of promotions and retirements that took place in February, Noble Espejo said the current budget allotment of the Armed Forces has not been enough to meet its payroll. According to him, the move only increased the wages of a small group that has benefited, while most that received the wages have not collected on the difference. Instead, as of 1 November, military staff suffer 5% wage deductions in order to increase the allotment to the Armed Forces Retirement Board.
Noble Espejo commented that among the recent promotions were the advancements of the general security chief of the National Congress, the coordinator of military regions of the Armed Forces, the director of protocol, the person in charge of the intelligence divisions, the director of the Civil Aviation repair shop, the governor of the Plaza de la Bandera (the large flag-bearing plaza in front of the Ministry of Armed Forces headquarters), the military supervisor of the Free Zone in the North, the governor of the recreational club of the Armed Forces, the governor of the government offices building in front of the Presidential Palace and the general supervisor of security and maintenance of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center. Others promotions included those of the officer in charge of the Permanent Commission for the Modernization of Government, the chief of the Military Corps of the Presidency, the chief of the President?s Security, the director general of the maintenance of the Armed Forces and the general military supervisor of the Duarte Highway, among yet others.
Noble Espejo listed the promoted officers in reference to fellow military criticizing former President Leonel Fernandez? comment that by promoting 167 military members to the rank of general during his mandate, President Mejia had ?cualquierizado? the military, meaning that anyone now could become a general. “There has been a loss of institutionalism and self-respect within the military,? said Noble Espejo, who views the DR?s military as having been divided into two fronts.
In his opinion, the Air Force and Army are carrying 8,000 surplus people, whose wages do not appear in the military budget. He said the Air Force is made up of 12,600 members when it should only have 8,764 and that the Army has an actual staff of 27,662 but is meant to operate with 23,098. He said the same situation probably occurs within the Navy.
As reported in El Caribe, Noble Espejo said that President Hipolito Mejia was led on by his military advisers to make large military purchases that garnered hefty commissions for those making the purchases. ?He let himself be convinced by the military chiefs that in the past government the military were going around naked, without clothes, which is totally false,? he said.
As reported in Hoy, Noble Espejo criticized that the scant resources available are being used for electoral campaign activities seeking to buy consciences.