PRD senators and deputies have announced they will not pass any of the bills requested by the government. They deemed as “aggression against the party”, actions taken against former high-ranking officers in the past Mejia administration by the government prosecutors. Senator Ramiro Espino, of the Hatuey de Camps block of PRD senators, was asked to leave the meeting where the PRD senators debated their position yesterday.
Spokesman for the PRD in the Senate Anibal Garcia Duverge conditioned the passing of most urgent bills sent by the Executive Branch to the solution of their demands. The PRD-majority Senate and Chamber of Deputies announced they would not pass the RD$8.26 billion bonds bills, the renegotiation of the sovereign bonds, the Free Trade Agreement with the US or the loans to build the metro.
The attorney general’s office is investigating former minister of Agriculture Eligio Jaquez and former deputy minister of Environment Andres Escarraman in the case of irregular allotting of government-financed greenhouses.
Garcia Duverge especially says they are critical of the prosecutors handling of the case against Eligio Jaquez.
Legal advisor to the President Cesar Pina Toribio said that the PRD wants to use its congressional strength to guarantee impunity. Pina Toribio urged the legislators to not use their positions to solve individual problems but rather to contribute to the solution of national problems.
Servio Tulio Castanos, director of the Fundacion Institutionalidad y Justicia (Finjus) said that the legislators do not have any reason to take such a position. He said Congress needs to fulfill is mission of legislating and Justice needs to abide the law.
Reinaldo Pared Perez, secretary of the PLD, called the action a vulgar blackmail and urged the government to not give in.