2005 – Page 223

Speaking from the press office of the Presidential Palace, Presidential spokesman Roberto Rodriguez Marchena denied that President Leonel Fernandez and former President Hipolito Mejia had reached a direct or indirect agreement to lower the political tension and foster governance. Nevertheless, political advisor to former President Mejia, former Agriculture Minister Eligio Jaquez confirmed yesterday news reports …

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Que Se Dice column in Hoy newspaper today mentions that the first task that the new National Commission for Ethics and Combating Corruption has before it is to explain to the public opinion if it is ethical that persons with cases pending in justice, that have been accused of corruption in government, should be in …

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Former Presidential Supervisor of Public Works and leading political advisor to former President Hipolito Mejia, today senator Hernani Salazar sued lawyer Marino Vinicio (Vincho) Castillo for defamation. He is suing because on TV the lawyer has made comments linking him to former army captain Quirino Ernesto Paulino and to Luis Eduardo Rodriguez Cordero, both arrested …

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Dominicans eat about three million plantains per day, or 1.1 billion units a year, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture. 99% of plantain production is sold in the country. Plantain production was affected by the intense rains of last year, including Hurricane Jeane. The Ministry says that farmers sell the unit at RD$1.80, …

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300,000 domestic travelers are expected at Boca Chica Beach, the closest to Santo Domingo, over the Easter long weekend, according to a report in Listin Diario. Paino Perdomo, in charge of the Tourism Police (Politur) said that 300 AMET, 75 Politur, 150 Red Cross and 150 Civil Defense volunteers will be assisting beachgoers. Some 135 …

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Cristobal Marte, the man behind the development of women’s volleyball in the DR to world class standards, described the agreement signed with the sports administration of Tianjin, China as an “unprecedented” one that would take Dominican volleyball into the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Three members of the China team in the Athens Olympics came for …

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The question of tax evasion, especially regarding the ITBIS, or value added tax, has reached such proportions that the head of the Department of Taxes (DGII) said he has a list of 800 businesses that will be asked to visit his department. What is happening, according to Juan Hernandez, director of the DGII is that …

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The government and former President Hipolito Mejia agreed last Thursday to reduce the political tension in the country. According to Hoy newspaper, this will cool the political temperatures that have been rising for the past two weeks between the ruling PLD party and the former government party, PRD. Sources told the Hoy reporters that President …

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A team of 500 men is fighting the largest forest fire in five years, up near Duarte Peak, the highest in the Caribbean. Environment Minister Max Puig told reporters that the fire was so fierce that the smoke impeded the work of three Air Force helicopters. Local residents, forestry experts, firemen and Civil Defense workers …

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The National Weather Service is warning that the hot weather will continue. . The metereologists says that noontime temperatures of more than 30C will continue nationwide. Listin Diario issues a warning to all beachgoers who will be spending a lot of time on the nation’s seashores this long Easter Week to prepare for the heat. …

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