1999 – Page 191

National Police (PN) chief Major General Pedro de Jes?s Candelier yesterday led a "cleaning operation" contingent of over 100 police agents at La Victoria prison aimed at dismantling a drug ring allegedly operating there. During the dawn raid and cell-to-cell search four people were hurt while trying to block police officers from entering. Police say …

Read more…

The interagency Natural Resources and Environment Coordinating Commission announced that a series of public hearings will be launched on the draft General Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, beginning Wednesday, April 7th, in Santo Domingo, Barahona, San Pedro de Macor?s (SPM), San Francisco de Macor?s (SFM) and Santiago. The project, on which the Commission …

Read more…

The Federation of United Transport Unions of the North (Fesitrapurno) last night called on all its members in the 14 northern provinces to return to work today. Fesitrapurno had called a strike to paralyze bus transport between Santo Domingo and the cities and towns of the Cibao region in protest to a police action taken …

Read more…

More than 60 organizations, meeting last night in the city of San Pedro de Macor?s (SPM), agreed to call a strike for Monday and Tuesday, April 12th-13th, that will cover the entire SPM province. The strike is being called in support of a laundry list of demands on the Fern?ndez government, such as honoring promises …

Read more…

Although President Leonel Fern?ndez continues to express optimism about a positive outcome to the political dialogue he convened between the three major political parties, others are beginning to voice doubts. His party, the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), officially echoes his optimism. The titular chief of the main rival, the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), Enmanuel Esquea …

Read more…

President Fern?ndez yesterday issued a decree, No. 115-99, suspending the collection of road tolls until next Monday. The new modern toll booths opened last Friday on major highways entering and leaving Santo Domingo had featured sharply higher tolls and new collection procedures. As a result, lines at the booths became so long that some drivers …

Read more…

The head of the PRSC, ex-President Joaqu?n Balaguer, yesterday sent to the Senate his choices to replace Amable Aristy Castro as the Senator for Altagracia Province. Aristy Castro last month resigned as Senate in favor of being the LMD SG; the Dominican Constitution prohibits legislators from holding another public office. According to Article 91 of …

Read more…

Yesterday JCE President Ram?n Morel Cerda told reporters that the Board has found evidence that in 1993 and 1994 the then-CDE issued "thousands" of "irregular" voter identity cards ("cedulas") to Haitians, dead people and military men (members of the military are not allowed to vote while in service). The cedulas were obtained using false birth …

Read more…

A group of 14 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) has filed a formal petition with the JCE asking it to take action to stop discrimination against children born in the DR whose father or mother is Haitian. The groups allege that JCE offices are refusing to give these children cedulas, even when presented with an official Dominican …

Read more…

Armed agents of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (AMET) and tow trucks yesterday descended in the early morning hours upon dozens of private buses parked on the side of the road at Kilometer 9 of the Duarte Highway and hauled away the buses. The action was resisted by drivers and others at the scene, resulting in …

Read more…