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View Full Version : Deputies doubt park project passes



NewsWhore
03-10-2009, 06:50 PM
It now seems unlikely that the Chamber of Deputies will approve the legislation that seeks to modify the boundaries of the National Park of the East. This development comes in the wake of considerable uproar that was caused by the legislative proposal after it was approved on first reading on 4 March with the positive vote of 37 PRSC deputies, 29 of the PLD and 19 of the PRSC, of 101 deputies present. Only PLD deputies Pedro Caro, Radhames Fortuna, Plutarco Perez, Juan Perez and Juan Rosario voted "No", reports Listin Diario.
Yesterday the ruling party deputies and the opposition said that the initiative should be examined in greater depth with the idea of only removing the center city area from the park itself. But Luis Carvajal, president of the Academy of Science and spokesmen for the Ministry of Environment (Semarena) insist that the urban area has never been part of the park. Carvajal told Hoy that the property was sold to an Italian named Llerosa and to Dionisio Cedeno Martinez and several supposed employees of the Dominican Municipal League (LMD). Hoy reports that the project's main promoter, Sergio Cedeno (PRSC-Higuey) was the presidential campaign manager for Amable Aristy Castro, who is the director of the Dominican Municipal League.
PLD deputy Angel Gomera said that he feels that the modification to the law should be subject to a consensus with the principal defenders of the environment.
PRD spokesman Ruddy Gonzalez said that his party would not vote in favor of the project, and will always oppose the use of the protected areas for the benefit of private individuals. "We are not in favor of the project, and moreover these situations here in Congress have always been decided by the bloc of legislators of the dominant party together with another smaller party, which have united for this purpose," said Gonzalez.
Meanwhile reformist deputy Luis Jose Gonzalez Sanchez said that the representatives of the province of La Altagracia and deputy Sergio Cedeno should not be condemned or accused because he was carrying out his role as legislator, or spokesperson for his constituents. "It seems to me that the people asked him to submit the proposal since all this is affecting a protected area," he pointed out. Gonzalez Sanchez said that there was a contradiction between some of the Semarena specialists and the people who went to evaluate the area around Boca de Yuma.
Assistant environment prosecutor Andres Chalas described the bill as an "assault on the National System of Protected Areas."

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