2004 – Page 74

As the litany of property held illegally by high-ranking officials of the Mejia administration continues to grow, the head of the Oficina Custodia de Bienes Incautados, the caretaker office of confiscated goods, Frank Matos, said that his officers have recovered 40 real estate properties, including villas, apartments, houses and farms, from the hands of former …

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Sociologist Ramon Tejada Holguin writes today in El Caribe that government programs that seek to merely identify the poor do not address the real root of the problem. He says that so far government policy has been based on how people perceive poverty, inequality and exclusion. He said that neoliberal policies that give predominance to …

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In an editorial today, Diario Libre newspaper corroborates the complaint raised by the civic society group Participacion Ciudadana that the government is not seeking savings by eliminating the more than 150,000 unnecessary public sector jobs. The newspaper says that the comment everywhere is that the number of appointments made by the new Fernandez administration in …

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Ex-President Hipolito Mejia holds assets of RD$46.5 million, according to his declaration, an amount that is RD$26.8 million more than when he took office four years ago. As reported in El Caribe, Mejia presented his sworn declaration to the National Treasury, which was then sent to the attorney general’s office. This procedure is in accordance …

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Dozens of Dominicans have been rescued from the Cayman Islands by Dominican Air Force planes that mounted the airlift operation from Jamaica. The British islands, where some 500 DR citizens reside and work as mechanics, technicians and domestic help, were nearly destroyed by Hurricane Ivan earlier this month. Tears, hugs and kisses marked the arrival …

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It takes 45 minutes to travel from the roundabout on Hermanas Mirabal to Nicolas de Ovando and 30 minutes to get from the Alcarrizos to Kilometer 9 of the Duarte Highway. On the San Vicente de Paul to the bridge of La 17, it will take patience and 25 minutes of your time. Crossing the …

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First Lady Margarita Cedeno stood in for husband President Leonel Fernandez by speaking at the United Nations assembly. “Poverty and hunger are like heat and cold; you cannot see them, but they can be felt,” said the First Lady in New York. During her presentation, she highlighted the social programs the new Fernandez administration will …

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The 31 senators (29 PRD, one PLD and one PRSC) were unable to reach a consensus yesterday to pass the tax reform bill. While there seems to be agreement on the issues that specifically relate to the tax reform bill, the most recent snag has been the last-minute inclusion of a provision to tax corn …

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Luis Arias, the president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), says the new electronic voting system contracted by the JCE at a cost of nearly US$60 million will be tested in the party primaries. Congress recently passed a bill whereby the JCE will assume the costs and responsibilities for organizing primaries of the political parties. …

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El Caribe newspaper says that the Central Electoral Board (JCE) decision to implement electronic voting in the DR would merely inject more noise into Dominican elections. “The pressing issues in the electoral arena are not inventing new ways of voting and counting the votes, but rather restoring the JCE with the credibility it deserves as …

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