Leonel Watch (Original posted here)
Leonel Fernandez (President of the Dominican Republic) recently sent the Dominican congress a list of over 100 changes he’d like to make to the constitution. Here’s how a UN representative characterizes those proposed reforms (from DR1 news):
"Dr. Cristobal Rodriguez, a constitutional specialist with the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP), says the proposed constitutional reform would give the Dominican President “unlimited power” adding that the personal management of the state’s resources by the President, as stipulated by the reform, could create a bureaucracy and a culture of potent clientilism."
Scary? A little bit, but it’s not over yet. Hopefully enough members of congress will see the danger and act accordingly.
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The DR recently hosted a technology conference attended by dozens of countries and companies looking to show off new technological products. As usual, Leonel was there to smile wide for the cameras and put on a show. According to DR1 news:
President Leonel Fernandez says that the country has definitely started on the road to modernization and that it is currently entering the transition phase towards a model of knowledge based on science, technology and the efforts of a new productive system.
“There was a lot of skepticism about the construction of the cyber-park, and we were told that instead of spending resources on a technology park, we should concentrate on reducing poverty”. He added that the way to eliminate poverty and push the country towards development is precisely with technology parks of this type.
The President cut the ceremonial tape with a laser beam…
Is this guy serious? The best way to fight poverty is through technology parks? We have millions of people who cannot read or write. Now we’re going to magically turn them into computer programmers and web entrepreneurs? Although he’s been president for 8 of the past 12 years, poverty has increased and the quality of education has become progressively worse. Cutting the ribbon with a laser and declaring his decision to build a cyber park a success is the Dominican equivalent of Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” stunt back in 2003. Both were premature (and needless to say insulting) declarations of success. Reality tells a much different story.
Comments and criticism welcome.
RHM
