NewsWhore
05-12-2009, 06:20 PM
Leaders of the dwindling Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC) and legislators from the ruling PLD party met with President Leonel Fernandez in the Presidential Palace last night. At the meeting, Fernandez asked them for their cooperation in moving forward on the Constitution bill in Congress on "five or six" conflictive points, according to PRSC members who were present at the meeting. This is the second meeting held between the Reformists and the President in the last four days. Apparently, the central issue of the talks has been the PRSC's support for the President's constitutional reform initiatives and a possible renewed electoral alliance.
Nearly all the PRSC legislators attended last night's meeting, together with several representatives of the party leadership. PRSC president Federico Antun Batlle reported that these conflictive points included articles 30 and 49 on abortion and re-election for two periods, as well as nationality and the Judicial Branch.
On Thursday evening the President held a meeting at the Presidential Palace with PRSC president Federico Antun Batlle, spokesperson for the PRSC deputies Ramon Rogelio Genao, former presidential candidate Amable Aristy Castro and Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso. The party's secretary general Victor Gomez Casanova did not attend the meeting.
Prior to last night's meeting, Antun Batlle had lunch with the party's legislators in the Scherezade Restaurant, in what was described as a routine get-together. Even though Antun Batlle admitted that he was going to meet with President Fernandez, he denied that any sort of negotiations were in process.
"Here we live with low lives, gossip, speculation; this is a country where anyone says anything and the journalists pay attention to it, and this is dangerous," he stated. But he added that, "when a President invites a party to talks, the party should go, since we meet with everyone that we have to meet with."
The PRSC president did not give much importance to any rapprochement that might happen between party leaders or legislators since he assured reporters that the dominating voice is that of the party directorate. A little more tactical was Genao, who did not confirm or deny anything. "There are things that are official, semi-official and extra-official, and therefore the party is here as a group to discuss the issues with reference to past and future actions," he explained. A point of discord was voiced by PRSC deputy Victor Bisono, who said that he was not one to go around seeking meetings with the President, and said that instead the party should seek its own credibility by standing on its own. In the 2008 presidential election, the PRSC failed to receive the minimum 5% of the vote required to maintain its legal status.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#10)
Nearly all the PRSC legislators attended last night's meeting, together with several representatives of the party leadership. PRSC president Federico Antun Batlle reported that these conflictive points included articles 30 and 49 on abortion and re-election for two periods, as well as nationality and the Judicial Branch.
On Thursday evening the President held a meeting at the Presidential Palace with PRSC president Federico Antun Batlle, spokesperson for the PRSC deputies Ramon Rogelio Genao, former presidential candidate Amable Aristy Castro and Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso. The party's secretary general Victor Gomez Casanova did not attend the meeting.
Prior to last night's meeting, Antun Batlle had lunch with the party's legislators in the Scherezade Restaurant, in what was described as a routine get-together. Even though Antun Batlle admitted that he was going to meet with President Fernandez, he denied that any sort of negotiations were in process.
"Here we live with low lives, gossip, speculation; this is a country where anyone says anything and the journalists pay attention to it, and this is dangerous," he stated. But he added that, "when a President invites a party to talks, the party should go, since we meet with everyone that we have to meet with."
The PRSC president did not give much importance to any rapprochement that might happen between party leaders or legislators since he assured reporters that the dominating voice is that of the party directorate. A little more tactical was Genao, who did not confirm or deny anything. "There are things that are official, semi-official and extra-official, and therefore the party is here as a group to discuss the issues with reference to past and future actions," he explained. A point of discord was voiced by PRSC deputy Victor Bisono, who said that he was not one to go around seeking meetings with the President, and said that instead the party should seek its own credibility by standing on its own. In the 2008 presidential election, the PRSC failed to receive the minimum 5% of the vote required to maintain its legal status.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#10)