2007 – Page 295

Despite the President’s efforts to convince them to the contrary, at a press conference after a meeting between the PRD and President Leonel Fernandez, the opposition party spokesmen announced that they would be sticking to their position that a constitutional reform should be conducted through a constituent assembly, a special non-Congressional body. Yesterday’s meeting at …

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After the Chamber of Accounts declared itself incompetent to rule on the JCE incentives case, Central Electoral Board head, Julio Cesar Castanos Guzman announced the JCE’s own board would decide on the issue next Wednesday. A majority vote would be called. The Chamber cited article 10 of Law 10-04 and article 8 of Law 821-27, …

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The country’s 21 recognized political parties received RD$24.7 million from the JCE yesterday. This disbursal is the first of a total of RD$296.8 million that the parties will receive. The funds will be used to finance their activities. The PLD, PRSC and PRD received the largest sums of RD$6,596,432 while the smaller parties received funds …

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Geologist Osiris de Leon, speaking at the UASD Library auditorium yesterday, recommended that the government abandon the construction of the north-south 14.2 km line of Santo Domingo’s first underground transport system and use the ditches for the construction of a sewage system for Santo Domingo instead. De Leon feels that if the government continues with …

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Supreme Court president Jorge Subero Isa and Attorney General Radhames Segura signed an agreement yesterday giving the go-ahead for the National Forensic Sciences Institute to perform drug tests on judges, prosecutors, employees of the Judicial Branch and prosecutors. The drug tests, which are obligatory, are aimed at detecting cocaine, marijuana, opiate and amphetamine use.

Beer consumption decreased by 30% in the month of January. The Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana, makers of the Presidente and Bohemia beer brands, say that the decline in sales came as a result of the higher cost of beer due to the tax increase as part of the January fiscal reform. The beer company said that …

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Two Germans and a Dominican woman accused of forging checks and debit cards have been apprehended by police. Detlef Galeck, Udo Neumann and Cristina Antonia Martinez were arrested in Santiago and are believed to be part of an international ring. During a search of the house where the trio resided, computer disks, stamps and other …

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Heavy snowfall in New York has forced the cancellation of all flights to that city and left many travelers headed for JFK International stranded at Las Americas International Airport (AILA). Seven American Airlines and Delta flights to NY were cancelled yesterday.

Boston Red Sox slugger David “Big Papi” Ortiz has donated an ambulance and 40 heart valves to the Robert Reid Children’s Hospital. Sports Minister Felipe Payano and First Lady Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez were both present at the ceremony, which took place yesterday. Ortiz says that the funds for the heart valves were raised during …

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A series of propane gas (LPG) shortages in Santo Domingo and other main cities forced the President to meet with suppliers and distributors yesterday, to work out some sort of plan to reduce the recurrence of this problem. According to El Caribe, the President authorized the construction of three storage tanks in San Pedro de …

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