2004 – Page 265

It could be said that the controversy surrounding the Ley de Lemas has been of benefit to at least one group – the newspaper owners. The print media carries numerous paid adverts, most of them full-page, by different entities keen to show their opposition to the proposed law. This morning the list of such advertisers …

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The dean of the Law School at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra, Flavio Dario Espinal, criticizes the electoral reform bill presented by Tirso Mejia Ricart to the Chamber of Deputies and recommends in his contribution to El Caribe today that the PRD find a way to resolve its problems that does not affect …

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As expected, the Chamber of Deputies was unable to debate the controversial Ley de Lemas bill yesterday morning. As well as the noisy protest demonstration going on outside the Congress building, there was a large boycott of the debate by 91 of the 150 deputies, meaning that a quorum for the debate to go ahead …

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The multi-party Chamber of Deputies requires a 76-deputy quorum to hold a session. El Caribe points out, however, that the PRSC has 35 deputies, the PLD has 42 and the PRD has 59 (45 of whom back the PPH faction of President Mejia). These numbers mean that to pass any bill, the votes of only …

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Father Rogelio Cruz of the Salesian Order has found a new parish. Father Rogelio had received much attention for his work with children and teenagers in the Cristo Rey slum area. The outspokenness and aggressive combating of the present government’s decisions – such as during the Pan American Games, led him to face practical eviction …

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Pistas’ special bulletin deals with the first round of free trade talks with the United States underway at the Hotel Jaragua as of Wednesday. It says that, according to Industry & Commerce Deputy Minister Hugo Rivera, 80% to 90% of the text of the Central American Free Trade Agreement to which the DR would dock …

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For his part, US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, who is currently in the Dominican Republic, said that Dominican farmers would not be adversely affected by the agreement, but would benefit. Speaking during a visit to the Presidential Palace, Zoellick – who according to Diario Libre is reputed to be a “tough negotiator” – said that …

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The United States does not have the “moral authority” to demand that the Dominican Republic modify Law 173 (see also yesterday’s DR1 news), which regulates the rights of local companies to distribute foreign brand-name products, says economist Frederic Emam Zade. His reasoning is that the US itself has similar legislation in 36 states, as well …

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Another protest of a different sort is planned for today outside the Hotel Jaragua in Santo Domingo. Poultry and pig farmers say they will demonstrate their opposition to the free trade negotiations currently underway between the Dominican Republic and the United States. The farmers feel that the under the terms of the proposed agreement, which …

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The Diario Libre reports that although there is no official date for the negotiations between the International Monetary Fund and the Dominican authorities to resume, there is a meeting planned for today at the IMF directorate which will consider the country’s application for the suspension of the agreement to be lifted. Finance Minister Rafael Calderon …

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