In his column today, the Listin Diario?s political commentator Orlando Gil looks into how President-elect Leonel Fernandez shuffled his people around, assigning them to posts in his incoming economic team ? posts that in many cases were not those to which they aspired. ?President-elect Leonel Fernandez did not surprise anyone with the players, but he did with the positions,? Gil explains. For instance, it was practically a given that Vicente Bengoa would be named the manager of the Banco de Reservas, and he was sent to the Finance Ministry, instead. Daniel Toribio expected to be appointed as Central Bank Governor or Finance Minister, but rather was given the Banco de Reservas post. No one would have guessed that Rafael Camilo would be the new Superintendent of Banks.
Gil comments that the new order has its significance. ?President Fernandez is not going to let himself be maneuvered by the media, an entity that can be manipulated by special interest parties. There is an anecdote that amidst the avalanche of possible appointments that appears daily in the press, the President-elect had commented to a close aide, ?I hope they leave some for me to decide.?
Gil concludes: ?The truth is that he will decide them all.? Gil is optimistic that the merits of activism in the political campaign will not be decisive, this time around. He says the capacity and will to contribute to resolving the problems of the country could prevail. He believes that the independence of the President-elect has to do with the fact that, contrary to what is believed or has been said, Fernandez does not have commitments with anyone. ?He only feels an obligation to the Republic. He has things very clear: his party was important, but the decision that he govern the country for the next four years was one taken by the country??
Gil comments on how during the campaign Fernandez turned down many donations that came with strings attached. ?He did not make that type of error in his campaign, and now no one can make demands on him. He arrives at government with his hands free and expects to govern with freedom, which is a difficult task in a society with so many interests.?