President Leonel Fernandez has filled an entire page in most of the newspapers over the weekend with lists of new assistant district attorneys and prosecutors. The President also named the directors and sub-directors for the Cooperative Institute, the Small Business Program, the Postal Service, the State Sugar and Livestock Board (CEAGANA), the Price Stabilization Institute, the Community Development Office, and his pilot and Presidential Guard commander. The newspapers furthermore feature the announcement of the Dominican members to the Central American Parliament, which includes several PRSC and PRD members. Another international job was given to Mario Arvelo Caamano, who was named the Dominican ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The President also continued his appointments of consular personnel around the globe.
In spite of all the high-visibility appointments, however, Fernandez has still not been able to find suitable substitutes for Fabio Ruiz Rosado, the current head of Plan RENOVE, Ramon Emilio Colombo, the director of CERTV, the state-run radio and television corporation, nor for William Jana, the head of the Social Security Institute (IDSS). And then there is the strange case of former Vice-Admiral Radhames Lora Salcedo, the head of the NCE, the Dominican Commission for Emergencies. Lora Salcedo, the high-profile chief of the Dominican disaster relief organization and the head of Civil Defense, was recently retired from his rank of vice-admiral, but he has not been removed from his either of his posts at the NCE and Civil Defense.
And, finally, the President continued to appoint advisors from the business community. Frank Jorge Elias was named communications advisor, Jose Luis Abraham, an executive with AERODOM, as aeronautical advisor, and Antonio Isa Conde as industrial advisor.