In 2001, politicians divided the National District in two, creating the province of Santo Domingo and the capital city was left as National District.
Now, ruling party legislators have allied with PLD and FP opposition legislators to pass a bill to divide the Santo Domingo province in two presented by Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM Cesar Santiago (Tonty) Rutinel Dominguez. The draft bill had been rejected in the past on grounds that it would create more spending and solve very little at a high cost to taxpayers.
Listin Diario reports that the spokesperson for the Permanent Committee for Municipal Affairs Plutarco Perez says that several public hearings have already been held in Santo Domingo East, Santo Domingo North and Santo Domingo West. Yet, the reporter says that residents in these communities are unaware of the bill to create the country’s 33rd territorial division – 32 provinces and 1 National District.
The members of the Permanent Committee for Municipal Affairs have already rendered a favorable report towards the creation of the new province.
The ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) has the majority votes to pass the bill, and with the support of opposition legislators, it could be an easy approval unless there is opposition from the general public.
Bottom line: the redivide will create more high-paying jobs for politicians. Listin Diario reports that Sergio Valera, spokesperson for the City Council of Santo Domingo West (ASDO) and one of the representatives of the town council in the discussions on the legislative initiative, told Listín Diario that the creation of the new province of Matias Ramón Mella insists that it will bring new development to the municipality.
Yet, residents understand that “there is no need” for the new conformation. Inocencio de los Santos, told Listin Diario that the current management of the city governments is already deficient. “If in this one (Santo Domingo) they are not doing many things, who is going to think of a new one? In the existing ones, there is no work, there is nothing, now what will happen if they make a new one?,” argued the father of a family who has lived in Herrera for 20 years.
Another resident, Odalis Aybar, a merchant in a small business in Las Caobas, said that the divide would create confusion. “That is the same as this grocery store, if I change the name and turn it into a store, people will leave it with the same name as the grocery store,” Aybar explained.
According to the bill, the Matías Ramón Mella province will be integrated by the municipalities of Santo Domingo Oeste, Santo Domingo Norte, Los Alcarrizos and Pedro Brand. The new delimitation would have as limits to the north with Monte Plata, to the south with the Isabela River, to the east with the National District and to the west with San Cristóbal and would have Santo Domingo West as the head municipality.
While the limits of the province of Santo Domingo would then be the province of Monte Plata to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the south, the province of San Pedro de Macorís to the east and the Ozama River to the west.
The province of Santo Domingo would include the municipality of Santo Domingo East, and those of Boca Chica and Guerra.
The bill establishes that the current socioeconomic composition of the province of Santo Domingo is differentiated into regions distant from each other, promoting the lack of communication. The rationale for the divide is the perceived impossibility of integrating the regions and that it would be better these achieve an identity of their own that would allow them to design a strategic development plan.
Listin Diario reports the bill will be presented to the floor for a vote next Tuesday, 6 June 2022. The plan is for the legislative and municipal authorities of the Santo Domingo province to keep their status of election in 2020, while the new authorities will be elected as from the elections of 2024.
If the bill passes, a new senator will need to be elected, increasing these to 33 in Congress. Likewise, a new civil governor would also be appointed, with all the additional civil servants.
Diario Libre recommends the legislators study the findings of the Ministry of Economy and Planning on Dominican territory. “Or is it once again an electoral maneuver to duplicate positions and institutions, salaries and jobs? How many more provinces will fit on the map? It will be interesting to see how the project evolves?”, writes the editorialist.
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Listin Diario
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Senate
2 June 2022