It seemed too good to be true. While the government had negotiated an agreement earlier with the Senate and Chamber of Deputies that was thought to be good enough for the passing of the National Budget, now the Chamber of Deputies will not pass the bill unless the RD$500 million in alleged debts with the Balaguer administration contractors is included. The Senate says it will not pass the bill if the Chamber of Deputies makes changes. If the budget is not passed, the government will manage a surplus of over RD$11,000 million as the 1996 budget would enter into effect as of January 1998. The government has said it will not negotiate further with the congressmen.
