Dominican President pacts to seek office again, Nacional reports
SANTO DOMINGO.- President Leonel Fernandez and opposition PRD party leader Miguel Vargas met Monday and agreed to eliminate the Constitution’s “never again” clause on two consecutive reelections, which would increase the latter’s possibility of winning the 2012 elections and allow the chief executive to run again in 2016.
Quoting a source, newspaper El Nacional said the meeting took place in the home of a mutual friend of Fernandez and Vargas and that the verbal agreement would be signed in a second meeting at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
El Nacional said it tried to get Fernandez’s comment by phone, through National Palace Press director Rafael Núñez, “but, as usual, this one didn’t return the call. Vargas’ comment couldn’t be obtained either, not even through his very close journalist friends.”
It said however that the source didn’t reveal the Thursday meeting’s site, but affirmed that it was on the chief executive’s agenda, when they’ll sign a document that would commit the legislators of the ruling PLD and opposition PRD parties, to strike the “never again” from the new Constitution. “That agreement fell like a ‘cold bucket of water’ among leaders of both parties, and those consulted were in disbelief and even doubted it could be signed.”
Although the agreement could benefit Fernandez as well as Vargas, the “loophole” would also increase ex president Hipólito Mejia’s possibilities of running again.
The chief executive held another meeting with the leaders of the also opposition PRSC party Monday night, when he also allegedly offered them electoral agreements, aimed at getting the Revisory Assembly to approve as is, article 104 in the new Constitution , leaving open the possibility for him to seek office again.
Even if the chief executive gets all of his party’s Assembly members support, he would need at least 20 of the opposition’s 90 lawmakers.
The Revisory Assembly integrates 210 legislators, whom 120 belong to the PLD.
Source: DominicanToday.com