DR swears in new President: Danilo Medina

[yayow]

Well today was a holiday in the DR, everything was closed as Danilo Medina was sworn in as the newest President of the Dominican Republic. I personally don't expect many changes, business as usual, after all he was Leonel chosen sucessor, and Leonel's wife is his Vice President, so to me, it looks like Leonel is still the one in power, I guess time will tell. Really the only changes would be some new people with added power and responsibilities, like I said depending on who your candidate was, who's side you were on some new people have been promoted. I wish him luck, in the few years I have lived here not too much have changed, but I have noticed quite a bit new infrastructure, I have noticed that the electricity grid has gotten better although it still has a long way to go, and my most fervent hope for the Country is that they start emphasizing education, because the youth is your future. Congrats and good luck to Medina, our eyes will be focused on you and your policies, moving this country forward.

[yayow]

Don't know if the new Gov't plans any changes as far as mongering is concerned (maybe Happy or WW have some thoughts on this), I have noticed a slight shift in some neighoborhoods in trying to clean a few things up, to make the country more family friendly, as that brings in more investment monies. Tourism is the biggest industry in the country and a lot of that evolves monger dollars, but if the Trumps of the world who are investing greatly in the country and there are a lot of oppurtunities for growth as there are a lot of un tapped real estate and other things that the Western world will be looking to take advantage of, same in Cuba, once the US gets in there, and starts developing and pouring in their dollars for their own purposes.

[steviewonder]

In his inaugural speech Medina has said: "I am not going to negotiate with mediocrity, I am not going to negotiate with the dishonest, I am not going to negotiate with antipathy. (No voy a negociar con la mediocridad, no voy a negociar con los deshonestos, no voy a negociar con el desgano).

Only time will tell

[BorisDaBulletDodger]

Don't know if the new Gov't plans any changes as far as mongering is concerned (maybe Happy or WW have some thoughts on this), I have noticed a slight shift in some neighoborhoods in trying to clean a few things up, to make the country more family friendly, as that brings in more investment monies. Tourism is the biggest industry in the country and a lot of that evolves monger dollars, but if the Trumps of the world who are investing greatly in the country and there are a lot of oppurtunities for growth as there are a lot of un tapped real estate and other things that the Western world will be looking to take advantage of, same in Cuba, once the US gets in there, and starts developing and pouring in their dollars for their own purposes.

Is it still no music on Duarte?

[yayow]

Is it still no music on Duarte?

As of last night yeah, but it is supposed to end this weekend, I guess we shall see, been about a month more or less now.

lots of hungry chicas, prices are rock bottom, it's a good thing for guys who know where to go to find what they want, and a nightmare for those who don't.

[jose1234]

I was told by a Colonel in the military that in addition to reducing the number of Generals in the military, there is a rumor going around in the military that he may try to disband the National Police. I was told if he does that, it would be very dangerous to him... Also, Danilo may try to bring nuclear power to the country. Some people who I have told that too said there is no way he will do that because the cost is too great... Lots of rumors...

[weyland]

Also, Danilo may try to bring nuclear power to the country.

I wouldn't trust a Dominican to change a flashlight battery, never mind operate a nuclear power plant. Mind you, it would enable to the ruling class here an opportunity to diversify from drugs, money laundering and people-trafficking. They could sell nuclear equipment to Iran and North Korea.

[MrHappy]

Where do I start..............

Let's just say that if he does 10% of what he hopes to do, he will be the best president the country has ever had.

He was not personally selected by Lionel, BTW. He used to be Lionel's right hand man, and considered by most to be the real brains of the PLD.

He got so frustrated with the way things were being done that he pretty much divorced himself from everyone in the party, but not the party itself.

I'm very anxious to see what he does in the next few weeks. They've already announced that the number of Generals (300+) is going to plummet.

There's a lot of really good people in the PLD (and the PRD for that matter) that are just as frustrated with the corruption as the rest of the folks.

Let's see what happens.

[hugrad95a]

Where do I start..............

Let's just say that if he does 10% of what he hopes to do, he will be the best president the country has ever had.

He was not personally selected by Lionel, BTW. He used to be Lionel's right hand man, and considered by most to be the real brains of the PLD.

He got so frustrated with the way things were being done that he pretty much divorced himself from everyone in the party, but not the party itself.

I'm very anxious to see what he does in the next few weeks. They've already announced that the number of Generals (300+) is going to plummet.

There's a lot of really good people in the PLD (and the PRD for that matter) that are just as frustrated with the corruption as the rest of the folks.

Let's see what happens.

[yayow]

Where do I start..............

Let's just say that if he does 10% of what he hopes to do, he will be the best president the country has ever had.

He was not personally selected by Lionel, BTW. He used to be Lionel's right hand man, and considered by most to be the real brains of the PLD.

He got so frustrated with the way things were being done that he pretty much divorced himself from everyone in the party, but not the party itself.

I'm very anxious to see what he does in the next few weeks. They've already announced that the number of Generals (300+) is going to plummet.

There's a lot of really good people in the PLD (and the PRD for that matter) that are just as frustrated with the corruption as the rest of the folks.

Let's see what happens.

Well that is good to hear, that he is his own man, I hope so, but although no expert, it doesn't sound like a guy who is distancing himself, from his sucessor when he picks the ex-president's wife as his number two (she is now the vice president).

[JD426]

I wouldn't trust a Dominican to change a flashlight battery, never mind operate a nuclear power plant. Mind you, it would enable to the ruling class here an opportunity to diversify from drugs, money laundering and people-trafficking. They could sell nuclear equipment to Iran and North Korea.

I would not worry so much.. but i could be wrong as well.

Dont know much about Nuclear, but I do know that "tourism" and "nuclear" , dont go in the same sentence... and to most people (Americans who cant read maps),, The island , is just too small for both,. and there is NO way off if some shit goes down (in their minds).. So you can pretty much kiss tourists goodbye.
For ex If Manhattan (nyc) had a Nuclear Power Plant near it (visually), they could kiss every one of their 55 mil (projected) Tourists asses goodbye.
NYC btw, imo, has become the mecca of Tourism lately, i have never seen anything like it in my life.. (no credit to Blooberg, hes still a horses ass ,diff topic)

[officemgr]

i went to the dominican consulate yesterday to pick up some tourist cards and they were closed because of the swearing in. its not like any of them were going to see it.

[AlexDR]

in the presidential ceremony i noticed a lot of cheers and a lot of dissapointment as far axs the closet members being placed in the past few months though i have seen a lot of positive changes here in santiago just as far as barrios getting paved streets the grid being better and i hope it continues education is one of the most important things every wendsday people wear yellow to represent the need for a change in education something about the 4% which i beleive is the 4% of the nations income it would take to reform/help the education system here

[uncle ruckus]

in the presidential ceremony i noticed a lot of cheers and a lot of dissapointment as far axs the closet members being placed in the past few months though i have seen a lot of positive changes here in santiago just as far as barrios getting paved streets the grid being better and i hope it continues education is one of the most important things every wendsday people wear yellow to represent the need for a change in education something about the 4% which i beleive is the 4% of the nations income it would take to reform/help the education system here

The Constitution used to mandate that 4% of government income was supposed to go to education. I think the number is between 1 and 2% right now.

[Sidney]

The Constitution used to mandate that 4% of government income was supposed to go to education. I think the number is between 1 and 2% right now.

Keep 'em down !

[weyland]

The Constitution used to mandate that 4% of government income was supposed to go to education. I think the number is between 1% and 2% right now.

The worldwide recommendation is 4%. Most Latin American countries fall below that, but the DR spends the lowest percentage of all of them (about 1.8%).

However, the total amount allotted to education is only one issue. Another problem is that half of what is allotted is embezzled by supposed providers and suppliers, or wasted on crackpot or unfinished schemes. Some good work is done in higher education but, as all research has shown in every country, the most cost-effective way to spend money is on primary education and that is appalling in the DR.

[el toro]

Is it traditional in DR politics for the incumbent to select his successor? Or do the people vote at all in any elections?

[MrHappy]

Is it traditional in DR politics for the incumbent to select his successor? Or do the people vote at all in any elections?

The new president was not selected by the incumbent. As a matter of fact, they had a serious falling out a couple of years ago.

He was selected to be the party's candidate through internal elections within the party.

The president is elected by direct vote of the people.

[uncle ruckus]

The new president was not selected by the incumbent. As a matter of fact, they had a serious falling out a couple of years ago.

He was selected to be the party's candidate through internal elections within the party.

The president is elected by direct vote of the people.

While this is true, there's more to the story. Danilo and Leonel did have a public falling out a couple of years ago. Danilo was part of the PLD wing that felt that Leonel's time had passed and he should have passed the baton. Leonel saw Danilo as a weak candidate with no charisma who got trounced by Hipolito in 2000 and worse, as a traitor for not supporting him inside the party.

The rumors in the political arena were that Leonel and his entire system was simply going to sit out the elections, which would have effectively given power back to Hipolito. Unlike the morons in the PRD, the rank and file of the PLD realized that this would mean the end of the gravy train and thus, the olive branch of Leonel's wife for VP served as the unifying factor between Leonel and Danilo. Now Leonel had to campaign for Danilo since it was his wife's reputation on the line. The fact that the PRD imploded in itself was just icing on the cake.

So Leonel didn't directly select his successor (there was a primary which Danilo won overwhelmingly), but he did decide who his successor would be by the actions he took during the campaign. if his wife hadn't run as VP and Leonel had just sat out the campaign, Papa would probably be President.

[steviewonder]

Unlike the morons in the PRD, the rank and file of the PLD realized that this would mean the end of the gravy train and thus, the olive branch of Leonel's wife for VP served as the unifying factor between Leonel and Danilo.

This is the part I find very hard to believe here in the DR. God forbid something happens to Danilo, Leonel then is back in the palace as his wife becomes President