DOMINICAN POLITICS #35: PRD OUTLINES THE FUTURE

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TAGS: DR ETRD PGOV
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN POLITICS #35: PRD OUTLINES THE FUTURE

REF: 05 SANTO DOMINGO 3877


1. (SBU) Following is number 35 in our series on Leonel
Fernandez's first year in office:

PRD Decision Makers Outline the Future

Senate vice president Cesar "Yayo" Matias and three of his
senatorial colleagues invited the political officer to lunch
on August 5, along with PRD student leader Rudy de los
Santos. Matias, Senator "Chu" Vasquez, Senator Ramon
Alburquerque (new PRD party president),and Senator Angel
Perez (PRD) collectively emphasized their desire to continue
their exchanges with the Embassy. Matias said they
appreciated our help on repeal of the protectionist tax on
corn syrup-sweetened beverages last year and the debate on
DR-CAFTA this year. Poloff said we were receptive to further
dialog on issues of mutual interest. "Chu" wanted us to pass
his greetings to the Ambassador.

Wind shifting toward DR-CAFTA: All said that the Senate is
ready to ratify as soon as possible after it reconvenes.
When questioned, Alburquerque - who has taken a hard public
line emphasizing a need for fiscal reform and compensator
measures to be enacted along with DR-CAFTA - said that the
Senate should ratify right away and deal with tax reform
later. The compensatory measures in a bill that he submitted
last November and resubmitted more recently - including
automatic reimbursement of the ITBIS on imports of machinery
and tax breaks for modernization of agroindustries -
certainly should be considered, he said. But would he hold
DR-CAFTA hostage to compensatory measures? No, he replied.

Timing of DR-CAFTA ratification: Matias initially said this
would occur within days after August 16. Vasquez said that
was unrealistic given required activities at the start of a
new legislative sesson; the Senate would be likely to ratify
DR-CAFTA sometime in September.

Concern over illegal drugs: "Chu" Vasquez said he is
increasingly and specifically concerned over the impact on
the political parties of drug trafficking and consumption and
drug-related money. New legislation is needed; he plans to
propose a law requiring that all PRD candidates to elective
office submit to drug testing and get a good conduct
certificate from the DNCD. He said the Senate would like to
have discussions with DEA at the Embassy.

Modernization and Reform of the Congress: Regarding the
IDB-funded project that is moving toward completion, a code
of ethics is still pending approval. "Chu" Vasquez, chairman
of the Senate Ethics Committee, said he had not been invited
by Senate president Andres Bautista to participate in a
working discussion of the proposed code. "Chu" has his own
draft ethics code that he believes could make a contribution
to the discussion.

New PRD leadership: Sen. Ramon Alburquerque was elected PRD
president and Yayo Matias, and "Chu" Vasquez were elected
vice presidents of the PRD in the July 10 national election
for party officers. They are also members of the 57-member
Presidium, the 189-member Political Committee, and the
1350-member National Executive Committee (which includes
provincial and local party officials). This was the first
real grass-roots election the PRD had held since long before
Pena Gomez's death in 1998. Elections for the leaders of the
12 "mass fronts" - of women, youth, professionals, et al -
will take place September 18.

One of the decisions taken by hand vote among the 5000
delegates to the convention that installed the new officials
on July 16 was that any PRD member or officeholder who does
not follow the party's positions could lose the PRD
endorsement as a candidate in a future election. "Chu"
Vasquez believes this will improve party discipline so the
PRD can provide united and constructive opposition. This
will also make the PRD a more valuable interlocutor for the
Embassy, he commented.

Elections of Senate officers: The senators confirmed the PRD
decision to present Andres Bautista for reelection as Senate
president on August 16. Matias, who had also run for the
job, barely concealed his disappointment. When asked who
would be the new vice president, Matias and Vasquez looked at
each other uncertainly, then said maybe both of them would be
chosen as co-v.p.'s; Both evidently are contending for the
spot. Several secretaries will also be elected for the
one-year term of house officers. Senator Anibal Garcia
Duverge, newly elected PRD secretary of organization, has
also been chosen to continue serving as the PRD spokesman in
the Senate.

Impression: Matias (from Valverde),Vasquez (from Maria
Trinidad Sanchez),Alburquerque (from Monte Plata),and Perez
(from Pedernales) appear to be loosely allied against Senate
president Bautista, at least in politicking for positions.
Alburquerque, until he left early for another engagement,
dominated the conversation in an avuncular way and outshone
the others in general knowledge, drawing on his experiences
as a student in Canada, France, and the United States.


2. (U) Drafted by Bain Cowell.


3. (U) This piece and others in our series can be consulted
at our SIPRNET site
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/ along with
extensive other material.
MEIGS