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P 121138Z APR 06 ZDS
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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