2004 – Page 284

According to the 16 January Country Outlook report prepared by The Economist Intelligence Unit, there could be relief ahead with a change of government. The Economist says that former President Leonel Fernandez is the favorite to win the 16 May presidential election. On this assumption, the publication states: “In 2005 we forecast a return to …

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The president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), Judge Luis Arias announced the opening of the 2004 presidential campaign today. This is days earlier than Electoral Law 275-97 dictates. With Election Day slated for Sunday, 16 May, so far, the PLD and the PRSC have registered their candidates. The PRD held its primary on Sunday, …

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The Central Electoral Board (JCE) publishes a resolution today that sets 27 June as the date for a second round, if needed. Seeing as this date is three days earlier than what is established in the 1994 Constitution that instated the second round, the electoral process could be affected should any dispute arise. While this …

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El Caribe newspaper lists these key deadlines for the electoral process: 20 January: Opening of presidential election campaign. 26 January: Deadline for registration of expatriate voters abroad. The JCE hopes to register 30,000 Dominicans to vote in Canada, US, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Spain. 3 February: Meeting of the JCE to approve the final list …

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The JCE reports there are an estimated 5,067,000 registered voters, 134 electoral boards located nationwide and 12,500 polling stations. Some 62,500 individuals will be employed in the election day activity. The JCE also says it has registered 33,958 expatriate voters. Officially recognized parties so far number 22, with a dozen waiting for official recognition.

The electoral reform bill presently under study in the Chamber of Deputies would allow those who oppose President Mejia’s PRD candidacy to also run on the PRD ticket. But political observers say that if the leading three contenders – Milagros Ortiz Bosch, Rafael Subervi Bonilla and Enmanuel Esquea – go along with the bill they …

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As reported in Hoy, Enmanuel Esquea Guerrero has requested that the Supreme Court of Justice study the petition made by the three pre-candidates opposing the Mejia re-election effort, so that they may still run in the 16 May election. The three want to choose among themselves a political candidate to be registered with the Central …

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Ramon Perez Figuereo, a notorious merchant of strike organization in the Dominican Republic, is back at it. Like many others, the transport union leader lost credibility after the government met the price of many with the offer of very advantageous finance programs for the renovation of their member public transport vehicular fleets. Now Perez Figuereo …

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The daughter of Armed Forces Minister Jose Soto Jimenez declared that a bag containing her jewellery as part of her travel luggage was stolen. Claudin Soto Thormann had arrived from Madrid, Spain, on board an Iberia flight. She said her lost gems are worth more than half a million pesos and that she noticed they …

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The Diario Libre reports that legendary Army Colonel Pedro de Jesus (Pepe) Goico worked side by side with Army chief Radahmes Zorrilla Ozuna in the morale-boosting given to the 150 men who leave tonight for Iraq as part of the Quisqueya Task Force. These soldiers will replace the first group that returned on Sunday. Diario …

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