Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03SANTODOMINGO7395
2003-12-16 20:31:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Santo Domingo
Cable title:  

DOMINICAN ELECTIONS #8: MEJIA'S PRD OPPONENTS --

Tags:  PGOV DR 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 007395 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA, WHA/CAR; TREASURY FOR DO:NLEE, RTOLOUI; NSC
FOR SHANNON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ELECTIONS #8: MEJIA'S PRD OPPONENTS --
OVERRULED OR WITHDRAWN


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 007395

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA, WHA/CAR; TREASURY FOR DO:NLEE, RTOLOUI; NSC
FOR SHANNON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ELECTIONS #8: MEJIA'S PRD OPPONENTS --
OVERRULED OR WITHDRAWN



1. (SBU) Following is number 8 in our Dominican election
series:

MEJIA'S PRD OPPONENTS -- OVERRULED OR WITHDRAWN

PRD President Hatuey De Camps and a group of supporters came
to Embassy Santo Domingo this afternoon, December 16, to say
they expected that at 4 pm -- half an hour from now -- the
Central Elections Board (JCE) will find against their
convention and Hatuey's candidacy. This would confirm that
the December 21 PRD "convention" (actually, a nationwide
party primary),will be the vehicle to choose the PRD
candidate. But at 5 pm, barring unexpected developments,
Mejia's three opponents will make public their own statement
criticizing a "distorted" PRD voter registration roll,
calling on Mejia to desist, and informing him that unless he
does so, none of them will participate in the convention.

So Mejia would be home free -- at least, as far as the
renomination is concerned.

These expectations are all over the Santo Domingo street.
The afternoon paper "El Nacional" carries a headline, photos,
and two interior pages on the expected development.
According to the paper, Mejia's campaign manager Eligio
Jaquez met the press this morning to tell them that Mejia
would go solo to the December 21 convention. Jaquez said of
Mejia, "When he received their letter, he burst into an
enormous chuckle." Mejia's formal reply will be delivered
today.

"El Nacional" carries a sketchy account of last night's
meeting of the three withdrawing leaders, which occurred in
Esquea's residence. One assertion is that of the 377,000
names newly added to the rolls, more than 20,000 are police
or military officers, barred by law from voting.

The paper states that PRD convention organizer Secretary of
Culture Tony Raful will meet the three withdrawing candidates
at 5 pm for a last discussion.


Hatuey provided a photocopy of the letter from the three.
Following is our informal translation.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


December 15, 2003

Ing. Agr.
Hipolito Mejia
President of the Republic

Dear President and Comrade,

As you know, we supported your presidential candidacy in the
2000 elections, believing that one of us or another Party
member would be your successor in the 2004-2008 government.

We were immensely surprised when last April you announced
your decision to stand for a renewed presidential candidacy,
and, although many colleagues in the Party did not accept
your ambition to stand again, we have been seeking solutions
right up to the Convention set for Sunday the 21st.

Nevertheless, the organizing of this Convention has not been
easy and there have been many difficult situations which
threaten to cut short the Convention and submerge us in
insoluble difficulties.

To be specific, we refer to the fact that in the printed
registry for the Convention, in a first phase nearly half a
million electors were excluded, and, subsequently, we found
the the inclusion of members of the Reformed Social
Christian Party and the Dominican Liberation Party. The
editions available up until today portray a status which
distorts the participation of the PRD base, a situation in
which it is not possible to carry out the Convention.

In addition, you will be aware that as a result of your
aspiration to run again, the Party is rapidly coming apart, a
situation which can only be rectified if you lose the vote in
this Convention.

At the same time, you are aware of the high rate of rejection
for re-election at this time when the country is going
through a profound economic crisis, one which is certainly
not exclusively your responsibility. This economic crisis
along with the lack of Party unity make impossible the
victory of a re-electionist candidate. This would leave us
out of power and with a divided party.

We have never doubted your love for the Party and your
interest in maintaining the PRD party in government, and
because of that we ardently petition you to desist in your
re-election ambitions so that, through a process of
negotiation, you and we can choose presidential and
vice-presidential candidates. Following this step, it would
be sufficient to submit those proposal for ratification by
the party faithful.
Mr. President, comrade, we know that we are asking you to
renounce very legitimate aspirations, but we do so inspired
by the ideal of avoiding large national and party conflicts,
in the conviction that you will be the great victor if those
events can be avoided.

Finally, comrade President, should this petition not be
acceptable to you, we must inform you with great sadness that
we would abstain from participating in the coming Convention.

Fraternally yours,

(signed)

Dra. Milagros Ortiz Bosch

Dr. Rafael Subervi onilla

Dr. Emmanuel T. Esquea Guerrero


2. (U) Draft: Michael Meigs
HERTELL