Don't want to start a fight...but

[Chichiguita]

I am confused about the basic differences between the main political parties. I don’t want to start a riot, but would like to hear some points of view about each. Is that possible?

(By the way, I did look through the article titles and ran a search, but did not see it specifically addressed. If I missed it, please let me know.)

[Chip00]

PRD - Partido Relajo Dominicano - Leonel's Party

PLD - Partido de Ladrones Dominicano - Peñas and Hipolitos party

Reformista - Balaguer's party - in cahoots with the PLD

Party goals - take as much money as one can get in four years - hey kids need education at Yale, and the house at Punta Cana is too small not to mention the 2006 Land Rover Special edition is getting old and one deserves to retire after four years of "hard" work!

[Pib]

Somebody had this explained this before better than I can do, but here is the gist of things: Dominican politics is nothing alike American, Canadian or European politics. Terms like 'liberal', 'libertarian', 'left', 'right' have not equivalent here.

Basically you had Balaguer, somebody that could have been loosely described as rightist but was not afraid to say no to the US and opened up to Cuba.

You had somebody like Hipólito, who hails from a party who could be loosely described as center-left who was afraid to say no to the US.

And somebody like Leonel, heir of the farthest-left party in the country (with any chance of winning) who was raised in the US, and is very pro-US, but is much closer to the Europeans than any other president.

I am not a political analyst, I don't play one on TV and I stayed in a Holiday Inn once in 1999, for what it's worth.

[Mirador]

Originally Posted by Chichiguita

I am confused about the basic differences between the main political parties. I don’t want to start a riot, but would like to hear some points of view about each. Is that possible?

(By the way, I did look through the article titles and ran a search, but did not see it specifically addressed. If I missed it, please let me know.)

PRD

PLD

PRSC


Let's start with the obvious similarities, with the letter "P", which stands for Predators, Predaceous, Plunderers, Prevaricators, Prostitutors…

Shall I go on? ....

[Pib]

Originally Posted by Pib

Somebody had this explained this before better than I can do, but here is the gist of things: Dominican politics is nothing alike American, Canadian or European politics. Terms like 'liberal', 'libertarian', 'left', 'right' have not equivalent here.

Basically you had Balaguer, somebody that could have been loosely described as rightist but was not afraid to say no to the US and opened up to Cuba.

You had somebody like Hipólito, who hails from a party who could be loosely described as center-left who was afraid to say no to the US.

And somebody like Leonel, heir of the farthest-left party in the country (with any chance of winning) who was raised in the US, and is very pro-US, but is much closer to the Europeans than any other president.

I am not a political analyst, I don't play one on TV and I stayed in a Holiday Inn once in 1999, for what it's worth.

Ahem, to go back to the topic.

Balaguer = PRSC = Partido Reformista Social Cristiano
Hipólito = PRD = Partido Revolucionario Dominicano
Leonel = PLD = Partido de la Liberación Dominicana

[Mirador]

Originally Posted by Pib

Ahem, to go back to the topic.

Balaguer = PRSC = Partido Reformista Social Cristiano
Hipólito = PRD = Partido Revolucionario Dominicano
Leonel = PLD = Partido de la Liberación Dominicana

Pib, didn't you know that Balaguer passed away a few years ago?, and Hipólito Mejía is now living on his farm in Gurabo, province of Santiago, growing yucca, practically away from any political activism?

Actual party leaders are:

Amable Aristy Casto = PRSC = Partido Reformista Social Cristiano
Miguel Vargas Maldonado = PRD = Partido Revolucionario Dominicano
Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna = PLD = Partido de la Liberación Dominicana

[Pib]

Originally Posted by Mirador

Amable Aristy Casto = PRSC = Partido Reformista Social Cristiano
Miguel Vargas Maldonado = PRD = Partido Revolucionario Dominicano

But we know nothing about what they would do if in power. So we have to base our judgment on what their parties have done in the past.

Well, we do know what they'll do, but we don't know how they would go about it.

[Chip00]

Originally Posted by Mirador

Amable Aristy Casto = PRSC = Partido Reformista Social Cristiano

Is that the guys real first name?

If so it would make sense, sort of....from what I remember the time I went to the capital a few months ago and there was bus after bus after bus with his face on them on the highway from Santiago going to his convention and the people were really having a good time - do you think they were happy to go see "Amable" or maybe it was the RD250 they were paid, a day off from work, free food, free music, free tshirt(and probably free booze) hmm.....

[Mirador]

Originally Posted by Pib

But we know nothing about what they would do if in power. So we have to base our judgment on what their parties have done in the past.

Well, we do know what they'll do, but we don't know how they would go about it.

Pib, you are very cute, so naivete doesn't become you ...;-). I'm sure you have noticed that our politicians lack imagination and creativity. They know they don't have to change their ways, if it worked before it will also probably work in the future. Unless, of course, the rules are changed by outside pressure or imposition, say like the DR-Cafta treaty....

[Mirador]

Originally Posted by Chip00

Is that the guys real first name?

If so it would make sense, sort of....from what I remember the time I went to the capital a few months ago and there was bus after bus after bus with his face on them on the highway from Santiago going to his convention and the people were really having a good time - do you think they were happy to go see "Amable" or maybe it was the RD250 they were paid, a day off from work, free food, free music, free tshirt(and probably free booze) hmm.....

Let me correct the spelling, his name should read Amable Aristy Castro.

He's considered the richest politician, of course, after President Leonel.