LF blasts bureaucrats (from DR1 News)

[cobraboy]

"President Leonel Fernandez told a university audience that public service in the Dominican Republic was "questionable" at best. The President blamed the lack of quality among government officials on what he called "Particracy" or democracy based on party affiliations. As the keynote speaker at the inauguration of the "First Postgraduate Program in Public Management" at the PUCMM in Santo Domingo, the President said that one of the pending issues in the country is the need to professionalize the officials who serve the public, including how to retain public servants during changes in administration. The President said that from time to time the political will to make the changes needed might occur, but there is a lack of qualified technicians to coordinate and execute such a program. The government's National Personnel Office is one of the sponsors of the one-year program."

That's the story. I was actually pleased to see it, and hope upon hope he means what he said.

I've said for a long time, as long as I've been aware of how the DR government functions, that the #1 fixable problem that exists within government is the absence of a viable, fair, non-patronage Civil Service system for the government and security/police/military bureaucracy.

No way can government-which is inefficient to begin with at best-function even marginally without one.

Leonel, you pledge to fix that in the next couple of years, and you'll be doing the country a great service.

[Robert]

If I had a peso for every pledge made, I would be very rich and poor if it was based on "action".

The Government is a business. Nepotism is rife and will not change anytime soon. Look no further than some of people Leonel appointed personally

Let's hope he follows through this time...

[rotondo]

although things seem to move extremely slow in the DR a start of a civil service would i beleive reduce corruption quite a bit as the gov.employees would have security in their jobs and not go in and try to steal as much as they can since they are going to out of job by next election or by the wishes of a different party boss it will not be afix all but a good start also employees and govt agencies woul not be paralized after a change while the new crew learns the ropes

[cobraboy]

I agree Robert, but IF it comes to pass, it would make a great deal of difference.

Hope springs eternal...

[rotondo]

Come On Guys Try To Be Positive Giving Up Or Being Negative Does Not Help

[Hipocrito Mejia]

Let's just say for argument's sake that LF goes through and gets civil service approved and made into law. Who's to say that next time that there's a party change, that they won't undo the law and go back to the old way, just to satisfy their cronies?