The Dominican Constitution calls for the annual 27 February Independence Day presidential speech to be a rendition of accounts of the passing year. Carlos Pimentel, executive director of Participación Ciudadana, a leading political watchdog group, remarked that President Danilo Medina instead endeavored to promote his achievements from a political party perspective and consolidated data from 2012 to 2018 in his rendition of accounts on Wednesday, 27 February 2019 at the National Assembly. The speech was broadcast by a record-breaking number of TV and radio stations in the country.
Pimentel criticized the selectivity of data used by Medina. He said that Medina used World Economic Forum Competitiveness Report data on infrastructure where the DR is ranked as above average but then did not mention policies adopted or to be adopted relating to transparency and the reduction of rampant corruption in the country. The same World Economic Forum Competitiveness Report lists the Dominican Republic as above average in corruption.
PRM deputy Faride Raful observed that the announced minimum wage hike for the public sector is just a strategic move to enhance the political acceptance of President Medina among public employees.
In reporting on the speech and the President’s concluding words on being willing to pay the price that is needed to serve the country, the Listin Diario wrote that the phrases are being interpreted by political analysts preparation for his possible bid for reelection. “I am first, day after day, hour after hour, willing to pay the price that is needed, to serve our country,” said Medina in his concluding remarks to the National Assembly in Congress. “And today, almost seven years later, I say again: I’m here for the difficult. Yes, for the difficult,” he said.
The Listin Diario observed that on the outskirts of the Congress building, thousands of Medina followers that had come from different points in the country, promoted his re-election, waving flags and shouting campaign slogans.
President Medina has said it would announce in March 2019 his intention to seek the presidential candidacy for the ruling PLD party.
The speech was the longest ever by the President who has spoken in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. It was 16,882 words long. President Medina read for two hours and 29 minutes from the teleprompter at the National Assembly.
In his speech, Medina spoke of the resilience of the Dominican Republic to maintain high growth and low inflation despite external shocks. He highlighted the achievement of his government in maintaining the regional lead in GDP growth. He cited that stats for his six years in government: 2013: 4.9%; 2014: 7.6%: 2015: 7%; 2016: 6.6%; 2017: 4.6%; and 2018: 7%. This compares to the regional average of 1.2%. Medina said this was accomplished while keeping inflation also at regional lows throughout the same period. He observed inflation in 2018 was 1.17%, the lowest in the past six years. He said poverty declined from 39.7% in 2012 to 23% in 2018, meaning 1.5 million people are no longer living in poverty. He mentioned the creation of 770,000 jobs during his government. He said the country produces 85% of the food it consumes and exported US$11 billion to 100 countries. He spoke with proud of what he described as the most ambitious reforestation program in the region.
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El Dia
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Diario Libre
Listin Diario
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El Caribe
28 February 2019