DOMINICAN ELECTIONS #7: OPPOSITION SAYS IT WILL

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001225

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - SENSITIVE CAPTION ADDED

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR-SEARBY, INR/IAA; STATE PASS USTR;
NSC FOR FISK AND FEARS; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD;
DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ETRD DR PTER
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ELECTIONS #7: OPPOSITION SAYS IT WILL
WIN ELECTIONS, THEN ADDRESS REFORMS



1. (SBU) This is the 7th cable in a series reporting on the
May 16 congressional and municipal elections in the Dominican
Republic:

Opposition Says It Will Win Elections, Then Address Reforms
(SBU) At a political party breakfast with the Ambassador and
Embassy colleagues April 6, leaders of the PRD-PRSC Great
National Alliance ("Gran Alianza Nacional") predicted that
their parties and allies would win a majority of both
congressional houses and of city halls in the May 16
legislative and municipal elections. They defended the
decision of the Central Election Board (JCE) to accept the
alliance's tardy registration of candidates and the inclusion
of convicted lawbreakers among them, and dismissed the
possibility of election fraud. They spoke of a program of
national reforms to be undertaken by alliance legislators
after the new congress takes office. They accused the
Fernandez administration of "use and abuse" of public
resources for campaign purposes and of playing politics with
DR-CAFTA implementation. But they offered to help implement
the treaty and ratify counterterrorism agreements.

(U) The guests included PRD President Senator Ramon
Alburquerque, PRSC president Federico "Quique" Antun Batlle,
PRD secretary general Orlando Jorge Mera, PRSC secretary
general Victor Gomez Casanova, PRSC National District
senatorial candidate Johnny Jones, and PRSC candidate for
reelection as National District congressman Victor "Ito"
Bisono.

United We'll Win
(SBU) Orlando Jorge stressed the unprecedented nature of the
alliance between two historic adversaries, the PRD and the
PRSC. He said the coalition will enable them to win
majorities in both houses of congress - including 27-28 of 32
senators -- and of the municipal governments (roughly
replicating the present balance of power at both levels).
The success in negotiating the alliance in most localities
indicates "maturity of leadership" in the parties, Jorge
believes. He stressed that the alliance would "not serve
exclusively for the elections"; it hopes to use its renewed
legislative muscle to promote a "national project" of
institutional reforms, improvement in the business investment
climate, strengthening of the justice system, and economic
reforms.

(SBU) "Just because our parties haven't tackled a program
like this in the past doesn't mean we're not qualified to do
it now." Post-elections, the alliance even hopes to enlist
support of the ruling PLD for the "proyecto de nacion."

Crooked Candidates
(SBU) The Ambassador raised a concern, also expressed by
local journalists, that persons accused or convicted of
crimes are running for office and that narcotrafficking
proceeds or other illegal financing may improperly influence
the election. He specifically cited congressman Radhames
Ramos Garcia (PRD),who last year served prison time for
alien smuggling, and former Migration Director Miguel Vasquez
(PRD),who in late March was sentenced to two years'
incarceration for confiscating funds from illegal migrants
(the sentence is on appeal). Both are running for congress.
Gomez Casanova noted, "Both are the most popular candidates
in their localities." Embassy officer replied, "Yes. I
understand Ramos Garcia has shared money from his illicit
activities with many voters in his district (La Vega). "No
wonder he's well liked."
(SBU) Alburquerque explained that Ramos Garcia was not barred


by law from running. His conviction had been "correctional,
not criminal," a distinction drawn in the Dominican
Republic's constitution. "Criminal convicts lose their civil
and political rights; correctional convicts don't. We must
comply with the law." Jorge Mera put up the same defense.
Replied the DCM: "He may have a right to run, but the PRD
has no obligation to put him on the ticket." (The PRD
blocked many other locally popular aspirants so as to back
Reformista candidates in the context of the alliance.)

(SBU) With regard to Vasquez, Jorge Mera said the PRD "has to
evaluate his case, since his trial ended after he was
registered as a candidate."

(SBU) To remind us that the PRD has no monopoly on
misbehavior, Alburquerque commented that President Fernandez
had appointed Rafael Antonio ("Cheche") Luna as consul in
Cape Haitian, Haiti. He is the husband of Rachel Montez,
former consul in the same city during the first Fernandez
administration. Alburquerque said Montez had been removed in
1999 for corrupt practices, but had not been prosecuted. The
senator insinuated that Luna, and perhaps his spouse, might
be engaged in improper activities now.

Support JCE Now, Reform It Later
(SBU) Senator Alburquerque defended the JCE's controversial
decision last month to accept all the candidacies of the
alliance, even though many of them were registered past the
deadline or with other glitches of procedure or
documentation. "The JCE did everything within the law," he
asserted. "You can't impugn the JCE every time it acts. It
should be supported rather than bashed. In 2004, for the
first time in history, this same JCE proclaimed the new
president before midnight of election day." Added "Quique"
Antun, "Electoral fraud is a phantom. It would be very
difficult to carry out with the current safeguards."

(SBU) The Ambassador noted a public perception of the JCE as
politically biased and as having untrammeled power because
its decisions are final. He asked if political leaders had
considered changes that would subject the election board to
review by a higher court. Alburquerque and "Ito" Bisono
replied that the alliance program would include amending the
constitution so that future members of the JCE, as well as
the Chamber of Accounts which audits the government's books,
would be appointed by a mixed executive-legislative
commission similar to the one that chooses Supreme Court
justices.

Observation Yes, Monitoring No
(SBU) Alburquerque and Bisono were "fully in agreement" with
having international and Dominican observers for the
elections, whom the JCE has already invited. But they
disagreed with the ruling PLD's proposal to reactivate the
civil society Monitoring Commission, led by Catholic
University (PUCMM) rector Monsignor Agripino Nunez. Such a
commission figured prominently in the 2004 elections and
previous ones. "Should we give full powers to PUCMM to
resolve all the nation's issues? What about the Congress and
other government institutions? I'm very fond of Agripino
Nunez, but...."
Abuse of Public Resources
(SBU) Antun Batlle denounced "the indiscriminate use of state
resources" to bolster candidates of the governing party and
its allies. He claimed the Fernandez administration is
"abusing social programs by passing out magnetic cards" that
give low-income voters access to various kinds of assistance.
Various ministries are dispatching officials to each

province to oversee public works and other projects, hiring
local people to implement them. Trucks of the ministries
involved in this work display campaign propaganda. Jorge
accused the administration of mounting a "campaign to
discredit and disrupt the process of the alliance" and cited
two provinces where "a battle" was underway.

(SBU) Jorge accused the government of "abundantly using its
propaganda machine" in the media. He said the ruling party's
ads appear free on two government-owned TV channels and more
than 50 state-owned radio stations, which also discriminate
against paid spots from the opposition by delaying
appointments or shunting the ads to less-watched channels.
(The opposition makes similar complaints in every Dominican
election. Plenty of smoke, some fire. The PRD used such
tactics in its failed attempt to reelect former president
Meja in 2004.)

DR-CAFTA Implementation
(SBU) The Ambassador urged the alliance parties to pass
legislation needed so DR-CAFTA, the regional free trade
agreement, can enter into force in the Dominican Republic -
for example, a pending law on public procurement and
contracting. Several of the guests criticized the Fernandez
administration for having pushed through a tax reform last
year to replace duties that would be lost under DR-CAFTA, but
having postponed DR-CAFTA entry-into-force until July 1.
This placed the political onus for the tax reform on Congress
before the election, but minimized DR-CAFTA's political
fallout on the administration until after the election.
Nonetheless, Gomez Casanova promised, "Your best ally for
DR-CAFTA implementation will be the congress." Jorge asked
us to keep the parties informed of legislative requirements
and offered to raise the issues with congressional leaders
(who are of the PRD).

Counterterrorism
(SBU) Similarly, the Ambassador asked the parties to promote
ratification of counter-terrorism conventions that the
Dominican Republic has signed but not ratified. Embassy
later faxed a list of international counterterrorism
instruments, with their status in the Dominican Republic, to
the participants.


2. (U) Drafted by Bainbridge Cowell.


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