In an op-ed contribution to Hoy newspaper, former governor of the Central Bank and former Dominican ambassador to the United States, economist Bernardo Vega highlights how the Dominican economy leads in Latin America and the Caribbean, with low inflation and a very modest currency devaluation. He mentions how the government constantly points to achievements in education, health and transportation. How the international bonds buyers grab all the sovereign bonds placed on the market, and foreign investors continue to invest their money here. Remittances and tourism are also on the rise.
Vega says that all that make Dominicans optimistic. But then the most recent Mark Penn/Noticias SIN poll says all the contrary. 71%, a record number, of Dominicans told the pollsters that the Dominican Republic is headed in the wrong direction.
Vega says that while in April 2016, 82% said they were satisfied with the government of President Medina, today only 59% think the same way, and 71% of those identifying themselves as members of the ruling party. Party support has declined from 41% in April 2016 to 23% at present.
Vega writes that the political parties system is in crisis because only 10% say they are partisan to a political party. 59% declare themselves as independent, and among the young, 67%. The ruling party, the PLD has garnered a following of only 23%, according to the poll.
Vega tries to answer to why the pessimism when government numbers show the economy is doing so well. He says the answer can be found in the main problem affecting the country – that is the response of the government to crime and corruption in government.
62% said they do not believe the judges will sentence those accused in the Odebrecht case. And almost half of those that are members of the ruling PLD party, say so, too. When those polled were asked if those sent to justice are all those that are involved, 82% says there are others, including 73% of those identifying with the PLD.
76% said they favor measures taken by the US government by revoking the US visas to Ángel Rondón, Félix Bautista and Víctor Díaz Rúa, despite Bautista being a senator and key party member, and Díaz Rúa having been a public works minister and party treasurer.
Vega says that in the same way that in the United States the famous phrase “It’s the economy, stupid! Came about to get US political candidates to focus on the economy, here the contrary is true. He stresses that in the Dominican case: “It is not the economy, it is crime and government corruption!”
He observes that to reverse the situation the Brazilians had a judge Sergio Moro, who with the backing of the attorney general prosecuted and achieved sentences in the Lava Jato case. But he wonders if there is the local political will to achieve this.
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Hoy
30 August 2018
