2010 – Page 293

PRD president Miguel Vargas Maldonado is demanding the designation of new judges for the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) as a result of a national accord where a temporary majority does not impose its will. He specified that the magistrates should be chosen according to the constitutional mandates, whose requirements establish that 75% of high …

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In its message commemorating the nation’s independence, the Dominican Conference of Bishops has called upon the country’s political parties to “purify their lists of candidates, closing the door on the incompetent, the ambitious and the corrupt”. They added that it was “insensitive to run a costly and wasteful election campaign”. They called for austerity instead …

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Yielding to pressure from women’s groups, the PRD party president has announced that deputy Julio Romero would not run for the PRD in the municipal and congressional election. “We need to have an ear to Dominican society. The PRD of these times needs to act in tune with the people, whether or not they are …

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Online news outlet 7dias.com.do speculates that decorator and landscaper Margarita Gomez, who the state has favored with contracts worth millions, could have been a supplier for drug baron Jose David Figueroa Agosto. The speculation was provoked by a cryptic item on a list confiscated from Ricardo Ivanovich Smester Ginebra with purchases, bribes and payments to …

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7dias.com.do says that President Leonel Fernandez has held closed-door meetings with government officials to hear the opinions of cabinet members and civilian and military figures in order to assess the potential consequences of scandals involving government officials. Insurance Superintendent and PLD political committee member Euclides Gutierrez is said to have criticized the behavior of some …

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Operations at Las Americas International Airport (AILA-SDQ) were halted for over half an hour yesterday afternoon when a man aged 25-30 years failed in his attempt to catch a ride in the wheels compartment of a N-746AX Amerijet cargo plane. The plane was taking off en route to Miami when the pilot noticed the landing …

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Zoe Saldana of Avatar fame is in the DR and on top of her agenda is helping to keep the plight of Haiti in the spotlight and contributing aid in her own way. She came to make a US$800,000 donation from the Avon Foundation for Haiti. She made the contribution to the Dominican Red Cross …

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Dominican-born Al Horford, fresh from his first All-Star appearance, established a new career record of 31 points in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers yesterday in NBA basketball. It was his game No. 200. Horford was key in the 110-92 victory by the Hawks. During the game, Horford made 12 of 15 shots from …

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President Leonel Fernandez attended the formal opening of the Ikea department store at John F. Kennedy Avenue in Santo Domingo yesterday. In keeping with Swedish custom, the President cut a birch tree trunk instead of the traditional ribbon. The new store is located across from Americana Departamentos, and a block from the Diamond Mall. The …

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Hacienda Minister Vicente Bengoa has announced that the government is seeking to take on foreign loans to pay the arrears owed to the electricity generators. He said that talks for this purpose with the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank were under way. He acknowledged that the Dominican government had committed to a payment …

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