| Daily News - 20 February 2004 |
Migration director Miguel Vasquez has called a temporary freeze on repatriations of illegal Haitian migrants, as requested by the Jesuit Refugee Service in Santo Domingo yesterday. According to this morning's Listin Diario, the process is being suspended until the current unrest is over, and will be accompanied by continued reinforcements along the border. The other papers are saying that the decision is still under consideration and is subject to final approval by President Hipolito Mejia and Foreign Minister Frank Guerrero Prats. Under normal circumstances, up to 4,000 Haitians are sent back to their country every month. It is reported that the Haitian border town of Ouanaminthe (called "Juana Mendez" by Dominicans) is now under the control of the rebel forces, which burned down the police station in that town. Reports from the frontier region indicate that the rebels, who are calling for President Jean Bertrand Aristide's resignation, met with no resistance and no deaths or injuries were reported in Ouanaminthe. The fugitive police officers crossed the border into the Dominican Republic and at least one was taken into custody by Dominican border guards. Diario Libre reports that the Dominican authorities closed the border at Dajabon, the border town adjacent to Ouanaminthe, "to prevent a stampede."
Senate president Jesus Vazquez has said he opposed allowing large numbers of Haitians onto Dominican soil and declared that the responsibility lies with the international community - which never keeps its oft-repeated promises of help for Haiti.
Former Foreign Minister Hugo Tolentino Dipp, quoted in Hoy newspaper, predicted chaos and said that the government should ponder the options of setting up refugee centers or granting asylum, as as many as 3 million Haitians could be preparing to flee the anarchy in their country. Such a decision, however, could cost the country dearly, said the historian and former minister, who also called for tightened security at the frontier. Another historian, Franklyn Franco, said that the Jesuit Refugee Service's proposal to set up refugee camps made more sense than an "uncontrolled exodus" of Haitians. He pointed out that the JRS proposal was supported by the United Nations and other international entities, and that given the lack of control along the 400km border between the two countries, this option was the most realistic. "If we place them in an enclosure, under the control and supervision of national and international organizations, they can be repatriated as soon as the political unrest is over, and what's more, the (Dominican) government would not have to contribute a cent." Reynaldo Pared Perez, secretary general of the opposition PLD party, has said that while the DR is in no condition to accept a mass influx of refugees, those who were genuinely eligible for political asylum should be allowed in. "Different categories of political asylum would have to be established. In general terms, the country is in no condition to give them refuge," said Pared Perez, adding that petitions for political asylum should comply with UNHCR requisites. Diario Libre added its voice to most of these sentiments in its main editorial. "We want to see a peaceful and democratic Haiti, but without Dominican intervention." Hoy newspaper's "Que Se Dice" columnist agrees that the onus lies primarily with Haiti's so-called friends, France, Canada and the US, but says that Dominicans should also reflect on their inability to relate to events on the other side of the Massacre River, not look the other way as it has done for the past 150 years. "That is why we are not even fit to be mediators in this conflict, which will inevitably affect us, as demonstrated by the veiled petitions that we receive, in the form of refugees, those who are fleeing the chaos that reigns on the other side of the border."
The Haitian crisis could have serious repercussions on the Dominican Republic, according to the European Union's Ambassador in Santo Domingo, Miguel Amado. The main threats to the Dominican Republic, said Amado, were not just the military movements, but also increased migration, flight of political refugees and the humanitarian situation. Amado met with Senate and Congress presidents Jesus Vazquez and Alfredo Pacheco yesterday, and urged them to approve the 4-million-euro loan from the EU towards developmental projects on both sides of the border. The motive is to improve the road connecting Haiti's second city, the northern port of Cap Haitien, with the Dominican border town of Dajabon, as well as health, agriculture and educational projects in the area. The current unrest, however, could delay the implementation of these undertakings. The ambassador is about to embark on an assessment mission to the area, accompanied by central and local government officials and civil society and NGO representatives. Amado will also meet with his counterparts in Port-au-Prince. He will then relay his findings to the EU member states as part of their discussions on how best to tackle the crisis.
It is reported today that the PPH (Proyecto Presidencial Hipolito, the internal PRD campaign promoting the President's re-election) has stepped up its efforts to woo former Presidential hopeful Rafael "Fello" Subervi Bonilla into accepting the candidacy for Vice-President alongside Hipolito Mejia. Subervi has been visited by senior party figures such as Vicente Sanchez Baret, the new PRD president, and Senate president Jesus Vazquez. There are also claims that Fello's wife, Miguelina Subervi, who is currently standing in for him as Tourism Minister, has met with President Hipolito Mejia to discuss political as well as tourism issues. Fello, who has repeatedly insisted he would not accept the Vice-Presidential nomination, is said to be consulting his supporters before making any announcement, having kept himself away from the public spotlight for the last two weeks. In Diario Libre's back-page column "De Buena Tinta," editorial team member Adriano Miguel Tejada writes that the question of the VP's candidacy is crucial for the opposition PLD as well as the ruling PRD party. Hipolito Mejia needs someone who will convey the impression of party unity. His best prospect, according to Tejada, is therefore Rafael Subervi Bonilla. But, he also needs someone who will guarantee stability, and this makes a youngster like Orlando Jorge Mera (son of former President Salvador Jorge Blanco) an attractive contender. In the case of the PLD, the matter is less urgent, but still an issue. Some say there should be a candidate from the Cibao region to provide a balance for Presidential candidate Leonel Fernandez' "capitaleno" provenance, thus throwing Francisco Dominguez Brito and former VP Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal into the ring. Behind the scenes, former Presidential candidate Danilo Medina is making strategic moves. What is clear, concludes the columnist, is that the issue of the second mate is of primary importance.
Yovanny de Jesus Pena Cordero, revealed earlier this week to be in possession of three identification and voting cards (cedulas), has told reporters that he in fact has none. The 37-year-old builder said that he lost the one he used to vote in the last congressional and municipal elections in 2002 and only learned that he was registered under three identities at the Central Electoral Board (JCE) when a friend showed him the article that appeared in El Nacional newspaper as an example of the disarray in the voting system. Pena Cordero claimed to be non-political, and said he would be going to the JCE's office to clarify the situation. According to the electoral list, Pena Cordero is registered under three different ID numbers, making him eligible to vote at three separate voting stations.
The dollar-peso exchange rate continues to reflect the current uncertainty in the foreign exchange market, with a recoil to RD$49 to US$1 from yesterday's peak of RD$55. Hoy newspaper's economic section attributes the vicissitudes to a substantial injection of dollars into the exchange market as a result of people selling their dollars when the rate is favorable.
Diario Libre's economic pages carry the sober reminder that the Dominican authorities have yet to renegotiate the terms of debt repayments with the Paris Club. If an extension is not reached, most of the funds entering the country from the International Monetary Fund will end up being used for debt obligations. Central Bank Governor Jose Lois Malkun is reportedly confident that the Paris Club will accept a postponement of US$321 million in 2004, while critics of the government's economic policies believe he should be pressing for more. The government has the backing of the multilateral organizations, without which a rescheduling or postponement could not be considered. The authorities estimate that US$1 billion is needed for the country's economic rescue package. US$600 million will come from organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, and the rest out of savings from debt repayments. The harsh reality, however, is that the government is already facing a situation in which the figures do not add up, making it difficult for them to comply with the IMF agreement. According to Diario Libre, it looks as if a mission to seek new loans, possibly from the US treasury, is in the offing.
The association of gasoline retailers Anadegas has voted unanimously in favor of cash-only transactions in the sale of gas to the public. This move, which will inconvenience many consumers, is said to be "an act of solidarity due to the problems some of our members have had with the banking sector," in the words of Anadegas president Juan Ignacio Espaillat. The retailers also plan to shut down their stations from 12pm to 2pm on Monday as a protest against the government's price adjustments which have eaten into their profit margins by as much as 25%. If the action does not have the desired effect, the shutdown will be repeated on Thursday, and if the problem persists, they will stop buying fuel altogether from the wholesale distributors, said Espaillat. Although diesel (gasoil) shortages continue in some parts of the country, such as the north-eastern city of San Francisco de Macoris, the overall situation has improved. The newspapers are reporting that most OMSA (metropolitan bus service) buses in the capital and the country's second largest city, Santiago, are out of service due to the fuel shortages.
A boat carrying 23 illegal immigrants from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico sank off the northern coast of the latter island, near the town of Camuy. Three women are confirmed to have drowned and two men have reportedly reached the shore alive. Puerto Rican authorities believe that there is a good chance that the remaining 18 missing passengers survived the wreckage, having discovered several lifejackets on the beach. The boat left the Dominican town of Nagua on Saturday, stopping to pick up more would-be immigrants in Samana. The coastal waters in the Camuy area with its many reefs were a bad choice for the voyagers, according to US Coast Guard official John Gaffney. The boat was damaged when it struck one of those reefs, although Dominican officials believe that a dispute onboard was what caused the accident.
Motorists in the capital should know that as from 11pm tonight until 5am on Monday 23 February, the intersection between Ave. 27 de Febrero and Maximo Gomez will be closed for the installation of a pedestrian bridge. The bridge was due to have been erected in August of last year, in time for the Pan American Games. Eastbound traffic traveling on Ave. 27 de Febrero towards Ave. Maximo Gomez will be diverted through Calle Cesar Dargan and Calle Baltasar Brum. Southbound traffic should turn right on Ave. JF Kennedy and take Ave. Ortega y Gasset to Ave. 27 de Febrero. Northbound traffic on Ave. Maximo Gomez should turn right onto Calle Pedro Henriquez Urena, turning left on Calle Francisco Henriquez y Carvajal, which connects with Ave. 27 de Febrero. Traffic police (AMET) officers will be on hand to direct detoured traffic.
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