The organizing commission for the summit meeting between the main players in industry, trade, banking and other leading sectors of Dominican society, says that today is the deadline for handing in proposals on the five main points to be discussed, a task that has the economic, political and social groups of the country working overtime.
Diario Libre reports that the PRD Political Commission is meeting at 4:00 this afternoon to take a decision. Some internal party factions have come out against participation in the summit. The PRSC’s Political Committee is also meeting at 3:00 in the afternoon to ratify its proposals.
Meanwhile, the Economic, Social and Institutional Council (CESI) made up of businesspeople, union leaders, academics and religious and social organizations, is meeting at the PUCMM Santo Domingo campus this morning.
The CESI, headed by Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado, has defined its priority themes as health, education, energy, competitiveness, production and jobs, and transparency and institutionalism, according to their representative Iraima Capriles who talked to Diario Libre.
Nonetheless, she pointed out that two amendments would be discussed today. The Dominican Management Confederation (Copardom) has submitted some comments on how the proposal to generate job quotas should be presented in the face of all the jobs lost to the international crisis. The Dominican Republic Industrial Association (AIRD) is suggesting a different approach on the point where the CESI demands compliance with laws that are approved, such as the General Law on Education.
This multi-sector round table brings together 44 entities and many of them have submitted their proposals unilaterally, without having renounced the proposals submitted by the consensus, according to Capriles.
The PRD responds to the call by several leading members to reject the invitation from President Fernandez. “I am not going because I am not willing to be part of a farce”, said former President Hipolito Mejia, who announced that he would vote against the PRD participation in the summit. Nonetheless, some voices warn that this means that public will see the PRD as a party that is not willing to engage in the search for solutions. In contrast, leading PRSC member Ramon Rogelio Genao reported that his party’s commission would go to the summit with its five points already settled as required by the organizing commission.