VZCZCXYZ0007
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDG #2769/01 2372046
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 252046Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5926
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PRIORITY 1950
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0639
RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN PRIORITY 0884
RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON PRIORITY 2622
RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO PRIORITY 1024
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE PRIORITY 4320
RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN PRIORITY 1700
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY 1546
RUCOWCV/CUSTOMS CARIBBEAN ATTACHE MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUEAHLC/HQS DHS WASHDC PRIORITY
RUMISTA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 002769 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, INR/IAA; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD; 
TREASURY FOR OASIA-JLEVINE; DEPT PASS USDA FOR FAS; USDOC 
FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION; USDOC FOR 
3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: DR PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN POLITICS III #2: PRD: DEFEAT, THE 
PRELIMINARY TO RENEWAL 
 
 
¶1. This is the second cable in our series on Dominican 
politics in the third year of the administration of President 
Leonel Fernandez. 
 
PRD: Defeat, the Preliminary to Renewal 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
(SBU)  The decisive defeat of the Dominican Revolutionary 
Party (PRD) in the May congressional elections ended its 
eight-year dominiation of Congress.   In response,  the 
leadership of President Ramon Albuquerque and Secretary 
General Orlando Jorge  organized country-wide consultations 
at provincial levels on August 13 and a two-day 
self-examination at the executive level on August 22-23. 
This followed close on the political committee's decision to 
set for November 12 the convention to choose a presidential 
candidate.  PRD Secretary-General Orlando Jorge Mera, young 
but confident and composed, outlined the process to poloffs 
on August 24. 
 
The Setback 
- - - - - - - - - - 
 
(SBU) The populist PRD has held the presidency on four 
occasions since 1963, despite the machinations of Joaquin 
Balaguer and his PRSC, and the currently ruling PLD was 
established by Juan Bosch in the 1970's as a PRD breakaway. 
The May defeat was all the more bitter for that history.  PRD 
presence in the 32-seat Senate fell from 91 percent to 19 
percent; in the enlarged House, the party dropped from 48 
percent to 34 percent.  The "Grand Alliance" with the PRSC 
probably served to avoid humiliation in other races, where 
the reformistas would have out-polled the PRD.  Every seat 
lost by the PRD was picked up by the PLD, which now holds 
majorities of 69 percent in the Senate and 54 percent in the 
House. 
 
Renovation 
- - - - - - - - 
 
(SBU) Receiving poloffs in his personal office on August 24, 
PRD Secretary-General Orlando Jorge Mera evidenced a 
confidence and poise that belied his age of 39.  After the 
elections some members had called for the resignations of 
Jorge and of PRD President Ramon Alburquerque, but those 
recriminations did not last long.  Jorge expects to serve a 
full four-year term, to mid-2009.  Jorge said that the party 
had initiated a comprehensive examination of its structures, 
statutes and strategy.  On August 13, open-ended party 
discussions were were held in each of the country's 32 
provinces. Representatives took  input from those gatherings 
to a two-day closed-door national level seminar last week in 
Santo Domingo.  Among topics raised were the long tradition 
of personalism and top-down decision-making, clientism, the 
lack of political training, and the often divisive rivalries 
within the party. 
 
Convention 
- - - - - - - - 
 
(SBU) Jorge confirmed that the PRD,s National Executive 
Committee has agreed to hold a convention on November 12 to 
nominate the candidate for the 2008 presidential elections. 
This date would be very early by Dominican standards, with 
the goal of uniting the party and strengthening its chances 
for 2008.  Several old-line PRD leaders, including former 
Vice President Milagros Ortiz Bosch and Rafael Abinader, 
have criticized this approach, declaring themselves a 
"unified faction."  Jorge acknowledged that supporters of 
 
former Public Works Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado were the 
strongest advocates of the early vote.  "We are talking with 
the opponents," he said, "and this is a democratic process." 
 Jorge confirmed that Vargas is leading internal polls; 
today, August 25, newspapers carried the announcement of 
Vargas' formal campaign committee, which includes Peggy 
Cabral, the influential widow of the late PRD hero Francisco 
Pena Gomez.  A recent poll of the general public by Gallup 
and the newspaper "Hoy" showed Ortiz Bosch leading Vargas 18 
to 12 percent. 
 
Congress 
- - - - - - - 
 
(SBU) Jorge said that the party's self-study will culminate 
early in 2007 with the "first ever" PRD National Congress. 
This will be the event used to recast the statutes, to use 
the results of discussions to elaborate a formal campaign 
platform, and probably to inaugurate the presidential 
candidacy. 
 
Bio Notes 
- - - - - - - 
 
(U) Orlando Jorge Mera is the son of former President 
Salvador Jorge Blanco, who served from 1982-86.  Born in 
Santiago, Dominican Republic, he graduated with a degree in 
law from the catholic university PUCMM in 1991.  He and his 
wife Patricia Villegas operate a joint law practice. 
President Hipolito Mejia appointed Jorge Mera director of 
telecoms agency INDOTEL, where Jorge was involved in 
Dominican participation in the ITU-sponsored "World Summit on 
the Information Society."   Jorge spoke of a new, younger 
generation in the PRD oriented toward uniting and modernizing 
their party.  He writes weekly opinion pieces in El Caribe 
newspaper and has published studies on intellectual property 
and telecommunications law.  Since electionas PRD Secretary 
General in June, 2005, he has taken a high profile but 
non-controversial position as de facto spokesman. 
 
(U)  Jorge studied English at Georgetown University briefly 
in the 1980's but did not continue in the United States: "It 
was a difficult time for my family."  (Elected again in 1986, 
Joaquin Balaguer relentlessly prosecuted Salvador Jorge 
Blanco on corruption charges.)   Embassy officers have spoken 
to him about participation in a U.S. International Visitor 
Program, but, he says, "I've never had the time." 
 
Comment 
- - - - - - - 
 
(SBU) As the largest and most credible opposition party, the 
PRD has a key role to play in Dominican democracy.  The plans 
for a party congress to undertake reform -- or at least to 
make revisions -- suggest a positive move toward 
institutionalizing an entity that traditionally has been a 
grab bag of contending ambitions and rent-seekers.  In the 
meeting, Jorge spoke soberly and realistically, exhibiting no 
signs of defeatism.  He said that the next few months are a 
"golden moment" for the party. 
 
¶2. (U) Drafted by Peter Hemsch. 
 
¶3. (U) This report and extensive other material can be 
consulted on our SIPIRNET site, 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/  . 
BULLEN