1997 – Page 3

Former President Joaquin Balaguer instructed Rafael Bello Andino, Victor Gómez Bergés and Joaquín Ricardo to represent the Partido Reformista Social Cristiano at the National Dialogue called by the government, which begins today at the National Palace. Participants include political parties, non-governmental organizations, the Catholic Church, the Evangelic Church, and the so-called popular groups that represent …

Read more…

National Police chief Jose Anibal Sanz Jiminian ordered the transfer of police officers at the Boca Chica police station after a series of assaults and robberies at gun point affected business establishments in that beach resort. The chief of the National Police said that he would not allow that chaos, disorder or delinquency take a …

Read more…

Women will play an increasingly important part in politics from now on, especially since the new electoral law obliges parties to assign 25% of candidacies to women. Over the weekend, press reports highlighted how Maribel Gassó, of the PRSC, is the most favored woman candidate for a deputy position in Congress. She received 60.7% of …

Read more…

The telecommunications bill passed by the Chamber of Deputies will be subject today to public discussions at the Senate. The bill is objected by several television channels. The United Nations and the International Telecommunications Union, the Department of Telecommunications and the Technical Secretariat of the Presidency participated in the discussions of the bill, proposing 17 …

Read more…

Three unindentified men died in a crossfire with the National Police, in a reported attempt of the latter to impede an assault on a sports betting center located at Gustavo Mejía Ricart Street in Santo Domingo. The police was on the trail of the bandits that were believed to have previously assaulted other sports betting …

Read more…

Peggy Cabral, wife of Dr. José Francisco Peña Gómez, leader of the PRD, favors the celebration of complementary election on 18 January to choose the PRD candidate for mayor of Santo Domingo in the May 1998 congressional and municipal election. It has been said that Cabral favors the candidacy of Miguel Vargas. Luís Mariñez, who …

Read more…

A group of businessmen, many of which are parents of children in the American School of Santo Domingo, located in Cuesta Hermosa III, announced the buy-out of the Sociedad Educativa Nacional, S.A., the owner of the American School. The group is presided by Roberto Serrano, president of Peravia Industrial. He said an investment of over …

Read more…

The Forestry Department of the government announced that some 13 million trees will be planted in 1998. Navy Captain Radhames Lora Salcedo, director of Forestry, said that of the 13 million, 10 will be for the Quisqueya Verde plan and three million as part of other projects implemented by his department.

According to data from the International Monetary Fund the Dominican foreign debt as of 1998 is US$3,573 million. In 1999 it will drop to US$3,538, and for year 2000 it will be US$3,469 million. To service the debt, the country will have to pay US$460 million in 1998. The government fixed RD$8,524.9 million to service …

Read more…

A report in Hoy newspaper indicates that 1,300,000 adults, ages 15-45 years are illiterate. The Ministry of Educations will be implementing a program in 1998 to teach these Dominicans to read and write so that they can get better jobs and reduce their levels of poverty.