The Conference of the Dominican Roman Catholic Church, in a document signed by the nation’s 14 leading bishops, criticized the lack of discipline and order prevailing in the country, requested that the government make transparent government plans and priorities and make these known by appointing a government spokesperson, called for the government to define its position in regards to re-election (which is prohibited by the Constitution) and called out for greater investment of government moneys in favor of the poor. Commenting on the document, President Leonel Fernández highlighted that for the first time, the message of the Catholic Church did not refer to governmental corruption. Other issues mentioned by the Church were the environment, the future of agriculture, the lack of any concrete results regarding the conclusions of the National Dialogue.
