In her editorial today, Tuesday 10 February 2015, incisive Diario Libre writer Ines Aizpun reminds Dominicans that while the May 2016 election spotlight is on the presidential election, mayors and legislators will also be elected that same year. In fact, around 20,000 posts are up for grabs in the May 2016 election.
She calls on the political parties to be responsible when choosing their candidates. She recalls the case of the city government in San Cristobal, where former baseball player Raul Mondesi is notable for both his popularity and poor administration.
She also refers to the case of Santo Domingo, where the three political parties that have held the position have chosen a successful singer, a popular radio entrepreneur and a celebrated comedian as mayors.
“Santo Domingo, a complex city full of structural problems in its organization and its growth, has suffered from years of bad administration. It has grown without a plan or regulations that are respected, it has become a paradise for speculators and political patronage has permitted the “slumification” from which it would appear there is no turning back. The chaos is perfectly distributed. Nothing is more democratic than disorder across all sectors. Society evolves, and city residents are demanding more respect for their rights and better results.”
She concludes by urging the political parties to be more responsible when nominating their candidates for the city governments.
http://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/2015/02/10/i1006631_eligiendo-alcaldes.html
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2015/02/10/i1006381_expertos-consideran-partidos-deben-revisar-ofertas-alcaldes.html