Leonel Watch - Page 3

RHM · #21 11-02-2008, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lambada

If you would like to, you could look up the PEME scandal, during the first Fernandez administration 1996-2000. Here's one article to help you start
Mejia vs

Mejia never took legal action against President Fernandez.

Thanks for that link, Lambada. Looks like a dense article so I am putting it on my "must read" list so I can really sink my teeth into it.

RHM

catcherintherye · #22 11-02-2008, 05:22 PM

Lambada,
Thank you. I will read it, and I will look for more on that issue. It looks interesting, and perhaps far-reaching.

Lambada · #23 11-02-2008, 06:02 PM

You'll see it was written in May 2004, on the eve of the 2004 elections & of course, it isn't without slant. But for people who may not understand why the PLD are berated for being 'comesolos' I think it is useful. There is other useful stuff on that website if you look around it, like this, for example
The Dominican Republic Pursues Modernity and Rectitude - Council on Hemispheric Affairs

Getting back to PEME, you'll recognise some of the names
BBC NEWS | Americas | Dominican posts move raises row
like Diandino Pena (head of Metro project) and you'll also recognise some of the outcomes.................

La República - Tribunal descarga a Diandino, Lizardo y Ng Cortiña; Inchausti va a juicio

For those with Spanish, search Programa Eventual Mínimo de Empleo.

MikeFisher · #24 11-02-2008, 10:03 PM

i just read the first one of the links,
ending with
This analysis was prepared by Sam Goble, COHA Research Associate
Issued 7 May, 2004

The Council on Hemispheric Affairs, founded in 1975, is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, tax-exempt research and information organization. It has been described on the Senate floor as being “one of the nation’s most respected bodies of scholars and policy makers.” For more information, please see our web page at www.coha.org; or contact our Washington offices by phone (202) 216-9261, fax (202) 223-6035, or email coha@coha.org.

took me a while to read it all.
been a waste of time.
do we start a "Mejia is of all innocent and should be back" initiative now??

with all those in that article, independent of course, named acusations,
WHY the heck they are not all for the next 100 years in jail?

or is the international community(IF such a article will be taken serious by anybody) that stupid to still negotiate with a such clearly on all sides bananarepublic?
the US would not have to fear nothing from a dominican crashdown,
oooh yes, a cheap paradise destin less on the globe,
so what?, raise some hotels more in cuba or mexico,
overe here are no oil interests,
no terrorism coming out from that little isle,
not much muslims over here neither,
so why they should negociate with this for the world economy so completely unimportant country?
sorry Ginnie,
i read the full article in the link provided in the first post,
i will not waste my short lifetime on the others.
Mike

A.Hidalgo · #25 11-02-2008, 11:25 PM

The issue of the Dominican constitution was raised here. How many Constitutions have there been in the Dominican Republic, although the op was just asking about how many have there been.

NotLurking then posted some excellent info on the Dominican constitution.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NotLurking

Every time the constitution is amended the amended version is promulgated as a NEW constitution.

Quote:

Quote:
The first Constitution of the Dominican Republic was promulgated in 1844, immediately after the nation achieved independence from Haiti. By 1966 the Dominican Republic had adopted thirty five constitutional amendments. The 1966 Constitution, enacted at the conclusion of the civil war of April 1965, provided the necessary legal basis to ensure democratic stabilization of the country.

In August 14, 1994, the 1966 Constitution of the Dominican Republic was modified. Among the most important amendments: a) it established the Consejo Nacional de la Magistratura[17], which designated the judges of the Supreme Court of Justice ; b) provided for the administrative and financial autonomy of the Legislative and Judicial Powers; and c) expanded the competence of the Supreme Court of Justice to hear matters regarding the constitutionality of the law, to include not only laws and resolutions emanated from Congress but also decrees and regulations from the Executive Power and other governmental offices.[18]

The Supreme Court of Justice was given constitutional authority to designate the judges at all levels of the Judiciary, and authorized to exert disciplinary authority over all its members, putting an end to Executive and Legislative control over judges and personnel of the judiciary.

Eight years later, in 2002, the 1994 Constitution was again amended to provide mainly for the presidential re-election (Article 49). Articles 89 and 90 were enacted which addressed electoral matters.

Source GlobaLex - Guide to Legal Research in the Dominican Republic

NotLurking

My beef with the whole process is the lack of paticipation of the people in the process. Its interesting how other Latin American countries, although left leaning will put their constitutions to referendums. Ecuador, Bolivia are but two examples. Even Venezuela had a referendum in 2007 were the population voted and Chavez lost.

The picture you posted of Leonel with Chavez is a bit misleading, because if the message was to imply an association with a perceived dictatorial ruler (although elected every time) who wants to stay in power, in this case he should copy just what Chavez did and put it to a vote. I wish I were wrong but the chances of that happening in the DR are zero to none.

Lambada · #26 11-03-2008, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeFisher

sorry Ginnie,
i read the full article in the link provided in the first post,
i will not waste my short lifetime on the others. Mike

No problem, Mike - we can agree to differ & still stay friends

. I did say it wasn't without slant. Where I think it is useful is to remind us that there were corruption scandals around the 1996-2000 Fernandez administration. Seemingly these were forgotten with the 2004 election when everyone had such high hopes of Leonel. Subsequently there was a lot of disappointment, certainly among expats. I think we were disappointed because we believed Leonel's statements about tackling corruption & pursuing austerity.

No, of course I'm not advocating a whitewash of Mejia. Far from it. But what I am saying is that it appears that a whole lot of money went missing in the PEME scandal & the cases against all the defendants were dismissed - the first 3 defendants at the Listin link above & Inchausti here:
Procurador defiende descargo a los implicados en caso PEME - DiarioLibre.com

Was there really not enough proof against any of the defendants? Or was the judiciary influenced?
La Justicia de cara a la corrupción - DiarioLibre.com

We all seem to be far more familiar with the corruption cases under the Mejia administration. I just wanted to point out that the Leonel administration has their fair share too AND as far back at the 1996-2000 administration. Maybe in our need to see Leonel as the saviour of the DR back in 2004, after all the Mejia problems, we conveniently forgot that the first Leonel administration was not corruption-free?

JRMirador · #27 11-03-2008, 10:33 AM

From today's EL DIA....

Acusado por múltiples estafas es embajador RD

MikeFisher · #28 11-03-2008, 11:36 AM

uuups,
that spaniard doesn't look like dealing peanuts.
Mike

RHM · #29 11-03-2008, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A.Hidalgo

The picture you posted of Leonel with Chavez is a bit misleading, because if the message was to imply an association with a perceived dictatorial ruler (although elected every time) who wants to stay in power, in this case he should copy just what Chavez did and put it to a vote. I wish I were wrong but the chances of that happening in the DR are zero to none.

I disagree. Both are Latin American leaders attempting to consolidate unprecedented power in the executive branch. A pic of Leonel and Castro would have been misleading. A pic of Leonel and Chavez is not.

RHM

cobraboy · #30 11-03-2008, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RHM

I disagree. Both are Latin American leaders attempting to consolidate unprecedented power in the executive branch. A pic of Leonel and Castro would have been misleading. A pic of Leonel and Chavez is not.

RHM

If Chavez consolidates power, he gains direct access to massive petro-dollars (shrinking, not, to the drop in oil proces). In the Big Picture, money gives him international credibility and clout.

If Leonel consolidates power, he gains...?

The former, I understand. The latter? I dunno. What's the Big Picture?