DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ON OAS SYG CANDIDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 006734

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR, WHA/USOAS
NSC FOR SHANNON AND MADISON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/2009
TAGS: PREL DR HA
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ON OAS SYG CANDIDATE

REF: A. AMB. FOLEY-IRVING E-MAIL 12/14/04


B. GOMEZ BERGES - CENTO E-MAIL 12/10/04

C. SAN SALVADOR 3551 (NOTAL)

Classified By: DCM Lisa Kubiske for Reason 1.5 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Political party leader (and former foreign
minister) Victor Gomez Berges told Charge Kubiske December 15
that he is interested in being considered as an alternate
candidate for the OAS Secretary General job in the event the
Central Americans are unable to reach a consensus. Gomez
Berges has been traveling to solicit support of regional
governments. The MFA informed us December 17 that the
Dominican Government is in the process of deciding its
position -- which is likely to be close to that of the United
States. The MFA did not offer any support for Gomez Berges.
Charge reiterated the U.S. position. End summary.

Visits in Santo Domingo, Port au Prince
--------------


2. (C) Political party leader Victor Gomez Berges,
accompanied by coffee magnate and civic leader Rafael
Perello, visited Charge Kubiske December 15 to present
himself for U.S. consideration as an alternative for OAS
Secretary General, in the event the Central Americans are

SIPDIS
unable to reach consensus on a regional candidate. Gomez
Berges mentioned that he had just come from Port au Prince
where he had called on Ambassador Foley in the company of
Haitian Prime Minister Gerard LaTortue (Ref A) and on
President Alexandre. Gomez Berges had had recent contact
with other regional heads of state and had requested a
meeting with USOAS Permanent Representative Maisto (Ref B).


3. (C) Charge conveyed that we were hoping for a consensus
Central American candidate, preferably a former president or
other elected leader with broad political experience.


4. (C) Gomez Berges said he understood the U.S. position.
However, he commented, most former presidents in Latin
America were tainted by corruption and he himself was a
better representative of all the values the OAS stands for.
The next OAS Secretary General would have to be above
reproach. The Dominican Republic has no conflicts with any
of its neighbors, he noted, and he has consistently been in
tune with U.S. policies in the region. He said he had deep
knowledge of Haiti, which would equip him well to lead the
OAS stabilization efforts there.


5. (C) Gomez Berges said he had been in touch with the
presidents of Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama and with the
Costa Rican foreign minister, and asserted that all had
expressed reservations about the Flores candidacy. Honduran
President Maduro had ruled out supporting Flores, he said,
because of the Honduran public's indignation over a failure
by Flores to fulfill terms of a border agreement.


6. (C) Charge asked where else the Dominican would be
traveling, and he outlined plans for visits to at least 5 of
the 14 OAS member states in the Caribbean. He has already
met with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Manning (at the
CCAA conference in Miami) and will next visit Jamaican Prime
Minister Patterson.

Dominican Government's Position
--------------


7. (C) Gomez Berges said that before starting his travels he
had checked with President Fernandez, who had "not objected."
Deputy Foreign Minister Alejandra Liriano told the Charge on
December 17 that the Dominican Government position remains as
before: supporting a Central American consensus candidate.
MFA UN/OAS division chief Michelle Cohen told another Embassy
officer the same day that the position was still being
decided, but would be "not far from yours." She assured us
the authorities were not considering any Dominican candidate.

Comment
--------------


8. (C) Gomez Berges (Social Christian Reformist Party - PRSC)
has a more conservative political orientation than President
Fernandez (Dominican Liberation Party - PLD). He is
associated with the formally democratic but sporadically
repressive "12 years" of the late President Balaguer
(1982-1994). Under these circumstances, it is extremely
unlikely Gomez Berges can gain the support of his nation's
government for his candidacy.

Biographic Data
--------------


9. (U) Gomez Berges served as foreign minister, 1972-76, and
held four other ministerial portfolios (interior, education,
finance, industry/trade) from 1965-78. In 1975, Costa Rica
and Mexico put forward his name as an option for OAS
secretary general; Balaguer refused to support his bid,

SIPDIS
according to Gomez Berges, and he fell one vote short of
being elected. He served as a senator, 1978-82, and as
ambassador successively to the Vatican, Greece, Cyprus,
Argentina, and Paraguay in the 1980s and 1990s. He headed
the state-owned Dominican Electricity Corporation (1988-90)
and Industrial Development Corporation (1994-96),and served
in the Central American Parliament (2000-04). A senior
leader of the Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC),the
third-ranked Dominican political party, Gomez Berges served
as a campaign adviser to former presidential candidate
Eduardo Estrella in the 2004 election. Gomez Berges is also
a lawyer, university professor, business consultant, writer,
and news commentator.
KUBISKE