The talks leading to a consolidation of the debts between the AES Dominicana and the CDEEE came to an abrupt halt in spite of President Leonel Fernandez’s intervention. The President insisted that the amounts under discussion had to be resolved and the issue put to rest. According to sources, the Listin Diario learned that the major obstacle to reaching an agreement acceptable to both sides has been the arbitration commission, which was set up for that very purpose and is headed by Jose Luis Moreno San Juan. A prominent writer on energy issues, Moreno San Juan is the head of the Energy Institute at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo. The source said that delaying tactics by the commission have made the conclusion of the talks impossible. Moreno San Juan has attacked the government measures as being “too short term.” The latest figures show that AES Dominicana is owed US$50 million for electricity subsidies for the poorest neighborhoods, and government institutions that receive a constant power supply.