The Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) yesterday finally delivered its official reply to President Fern?ndez’s letter of last week regarding the proposed political dialogue. In a letter to the President signed by PRD President Enmanuel Esquea Guerrero, the main opposition party said that it was open to discussing any issue of national interest with the notable exception of the Central Election Board (JCE). The JCE is "a closed case," asserted the letter, since it was appointed legally by the (PRD-controlled) Senate last August. The ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and the Reformist-Social Christian Party (PRSC) have always maintained that the JCE judges should have been appointed on the basis of prior consultations with them and a consensus on its members, as was done for the successful 1996 elections. The PRSC has even challenged in court the fitness of the present JCE, claiming that its members are PRD militants that cannot be impartial as the Constitution requires them to be.The PRD letter suggested that President Fern?ndez did not understand PRD’s proposal to put the Dominican Municipal League (LMD) under the direction of a group of eminent persons until a court case involving the League is decided (see separate story below). President Fern?ndez had argued that it was not within his power to make such a move, and the courts should be left to decide the fate of the LMD. PRD says that it never meant to suggest that Fern?ndez could order such a step, but that it nevertheless wants to see some formula worked out regarding the LMD.The PRD letter also called on President Fern?ndez to set a date to begin the dialogue (Fern?ndez had asked the PRD to suggest a date).
