Reform will include a transitional article
Ligia believes PLD unity is in danger; legislators call for a consensus
Diario Libre
SD. Under the threat of a division of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and demands for a consensus inside the organization, the legislative proposal for a reform of the Constitution of the Republic in order to permit the reelection of President Danilo Medina, will be ready next week and will include a temporary article.
The Secretary-General of the PLD, Reinaldo Pared Perez, reported that they will only modify Article 124 of the Magna Carta and they will add a transitory article to impede the reelection of Medina in the year 2020. He said that they have now worked on the idea and that when the draft is ready he will present it to the commission, later on to the President of the Republic and to the President of the PLD, Leonel Fernandez, for their approval. He made it clear that the text in itself will be written by the National Assembly.
Likewise, he said that he will consult with President Medina, in order to establish in which manner the proposal for the reform will be submitted.
For her part, the Senate president, Cristina Lizardo, announced that the proposal will be introduced through this body and that, if it arrives in time, it will be heard in the next session. She indicated that there is still another meeting to be held to finish up the rough draft.
Division
Yesterday Ligia Amada Melo, a member of the Central Committee of the PLD, said that the unity of this party is in danger, a reality over which she is not been able to close her eyes, according to what she said.
It is her understanding that the Political Committee acted hurriedly in approving the submission of the constitutional reform for the reelection by voting and not by a consensus. "I believe that this issue is being carried out too fast. It should not have been voted on, but rather by reaching a consensus as it has always been done," she said.
The demand for a consensus was also made by Senator Adriano Sanchez Roa, one of those who expressed disagreement with the decision of the CP. "I feel that there should have been a consensus between the two principle leaders, and in that way one can submit to what the majority say."
Senators Felix Bautista and Prim Pujals, preferred not to speak on the issue, although the latter said that there would be no division.
Also, Senators Rafael Calderon and Nelson Guillen for their part, said that they trust that they will reach an approval of the project in order to achieve reelection, something which yesterday added deputy Radhames Ramos Garcia to those who were in favor.
Regarding the rumors of the purchasing of legislators in order that they vote in favor of reelection, both Guillen as well as Pared Perez deny that money is being spent for this purpose.
"Anyone who knows Danilo knows that he would never lend himself to this and I, even less," said Pared Perez.
The "Machepa"
Yesterday, the movement "The Sons of Machepa" (A figure of speech popularized by Juan Bosch) went to Congress to ask that the Constitution not be modified and in their slogans they insisted that they would not let "the man with a briefcase" into the area. The spokesman for the group, Willie Gonzalez, said that they have no party affiliation, that they finance themselves with the RD$200 a week contributed by the 2700 members all over the country. However, in his pocket he has a small card which he showed by mistake, and which it were clearly seen the colors and the star of the PLD.
The referendum is still not in the plans of Danilo's group
The possibility of going to a referendum in order to legitimize a constitutional reform which permits the consecutive reelection and the re-nomination of President Danilo Medina, is not in the plans of his group.
Important leaders of the movement which favors Danilo who were consulted agreed with the opinions of jurists who explained that the use of a referendum is not necessary in order to legitimize a constitutional reform that once again installs consecutive reelections.
With regard to the issue, a member of the Political Committee, Felix Jimenez (Felucho), made it clear that it was not in order to approve the reelection that he offered the budget surplus of the Dominican Oil Refinery (Refidomsa), but rather in case of the eventuality of having to hold a referendum which would cost RD$1.0 billion.
"Since this approval referendum is not in the public expenditure for this year, in the eventual case that the approval referendum is necessary, I indicated to a comrade that I appreciate a lot, that they would need about 1 billion pesos, and I said ", this is not a problem because the Refinery has to deliver its dividends to the Dominican state," he underlined.
Jimenez made it clear that the benefits of Refidomsa that are not contemplated in the public expenditures for this year, correspond to the 51% of the shares that the country has in the refinery.
"Felucho did not say that those are $32 million in order for President Medina to buy deputies or that he can give it to Congress," emphasized the official.
Political scientist Freddy Angel Castro argued that the referendum is not at the present time the principle part of the debate, since they have to wait for the behavior of what happens in the National Congress.
"The greater or lesser legitimacy will have to wait because what has been appearing in very clear voices in the Congress itself is that they are trying to twist the wills of legislators with practices that could become indelicate," he pointed out.
The member of the Political Committee, Ramon Ventura Camejo, proposed that his letter that in order that the constitutional modification which permits reelection be approved, they should convene a referendum.
The Secretary-General of the PLD, Reinaldo Pared Perez, reported that they will only modify Article 124 of the Magna Carta and they will add a transitory article to impede the reelection of Medina in the year 2020. He said that they have now worked on the idea and that when the draft is ready he will present it to the commission, later on to the President of the Republic and to the President of the PLD, Leonel Fernandez, for their approval. He made it clear that the text in itself will be written by the National Assembly.
Likewise, he said that he will consult with President Medina, in order to establish in which manner the proposal for the reform will be submitted.
For her part, the Senate president, Cristina Lizardo, announced that the proposal will be introduced through this body and that, if it arrives in time, it will be heard in the next session. She indicated that there is still another meeting to be held to finish up the rough draft.
Division
Yesterday Ligia Amada Melo, a member of the Central Committee of the PLD, said that the unity of this party is in danger, a reality over which she is not been able to close her eyes, according to what she said.
It is her understanding that the Political Committee acted hurriedly in approving the submission of the constitutional reform for the reelection by voting and not by a consensus. "I believe that this issue is being carried out too fast. It should not have been voted on, but rather by reaching a consensus as it has always been done," she said.
The demand for a consensus was also made by Senator Adriano Sanchez Roa, one of those who expressed disagreement with the decision of the CP. "I feel that there should have been a consensus between the two principle leaders, and in that way one can submit to what the majority say."
Senators Felix Bautista and Prim Pujals, preferred not to speak on the issue, although the latter said that there would be no division.
Also, Senators Rafael Calderon and Nelson Guillen for their part, said that they trust that they will reach an approval of the project in order to achieve reelection, something which yesterday added deputy Radhames Ramos Garcia to those who were in favor.
Regarding the rumors of the purchasing of legislators in order that they vote in favor of reelection, both Guillen as well as Pared Perez deny that money is being spent for this purpose.
"Anyone who knows Danilo knows that he would never lend himself to this and I, even less," said Pared Perez.
The "Machepa"
Yesterday, the movement "The Sons of Machepa" (A figure of speech popularized by Juan Bosch) went to Congress to ask that the Constitution not be modified and in their slogans they insisted that they would not let "the man with a briefcase" into the area. The spokesman for the group, Willie Gonzalez, said that they have no party affiliation, that they finance themselves with the RD$200 a week contributed by the 2700 members all over the country. However, in his pocket he has a small card which he showed by mistake, and which it were clearly seen the colors and the star of the PLD.
The referendum is still not in the plans of Danilo's group
The possibility of going to a referendum in order to legitimize a constitutional reform which permits the consecutive reelection and the re-nomination of President Danilo Medina, is not in the plans of his group.
Important leaders of the movement which favors Danilo who were consulted agreed with the opinions of jurists who explained that the use of a referendum is not necessary in order to legitimize a constitutional reform that once again installs consecutive reelections.
With regard to the issue, a member of the Political Committee, Felix Jimenez (Felucho), made it clear that it was not in order to approve the reelection that he offered the budget surplus of the Dominican Oil Refinery (Refidomsa), but rather in case of the eventuality of having to hold a referendum which would cost RD$1.0 billion.
"Since this approval referendum is not in the public expenditure for this year, in the eventual case that the approval referendum is necessary, I indicated to a comrade that I appreciate a lot, that they would need about 1 billion pesos, and I said ", this is not a problem because the Refinery has to deliver its dividends to the Dominican state," he underlined.
Jimenez made it clear that the benefits of Refidomsa that are not contemplated in the public expenditures for this year, correspond to the 51% of the shares that the country has in the refinery.
"Felucho did not say that those are $32 million in order for President Medina to buy deputies or that he can give it to Congress," emphasized the official.
Political scientist Freddy Angel Castro argued that the referendum is not at the present time the principle part of the debate, since they have to wait for the behavior of what happens in the National Congress.
"The greater or lesser legitimacy will have to wait because what has been appearing in very clear voices in the Congress itself is that they are trying to twist the wills of legislators with practices that could become indelicate," he pointed out.
The member of the Political Committee, Ramon Ventura Camejo, proposed that his letter that in order that the constitutional modification which permits reelection be approved, they should convene a referendum.
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