With the exception of the Dominican Medical Association (CMD), leading professional associations in the Dominican Republic are now head by ruling PLD party associates, as reported in El Dia. El Dia highlights that the CMD new president is Dr. Wilson Roa, of the Patria Para Todos movement, but he also had the strong backing of the PRM, the leading opposition party.
The Dominican engineers and architects association (Codia) is lead by Juan Ramón Cruz Ventura, known as a PLD follower.
The re-elected president of the Dominican association of lawyers (CARD), Miguel Surun is a PLD follower.
The president of the Dominican Association of Public School Teachers (ADP), Eduardo Hidalgo, is a deputy for the PLD.
The Dominican association of journalists (CDP) president Adriano de la Cruz responds to the PLD.
The same happens at the state university UASD. The present rector reportedly responds to guidelines from the government.
Recently, PLD senator Euclides Sanchez, who is also secretary of professional affairs at the PLD, proudly boasted the PLD has prevailed in the elections of the Codia, CARD and the CDP.
Sociologist Jose Antinoe Fiallo said that the situation of political dominance in the professional associations is an expression of the social and political crisis that dominates the Dominican political system. He says the political parties have not been able to see they are leading those institutions to internal crisis. He said instead of the members focusing on their real interests, political issues now prevail.
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El Dia
El Dia
6 December 2017
