NewsWhore
05-24-2010, 02:20 PM
Political analyst Juan Bolivar Diaz comments on the results of the 16 May election in Hoy. "No matter how much one thinks about the results of the Sunday 16 election, one can only find one winner, President Leonel Fernandez, who threw himself into the campaign with all the power of the state behind him in an electoral campaign until he achieved his desired sweep of the Senate, obtaining 31 of its 32 seats, with the other in hands of an ally, and leaving out the PRD opposition," he writes.
He comments that with 105 of the 183 deputies, and 4 in the hands of ally PRSC, the PLD will only need 4 for the necessary two-thirds majority for important decisions such as modifying the Constitution so he can run for re-election in 2012, as called for by his supporters for when he campaigned nationwide during the congressional and municipal election.
Diaz says history shows the PLD will have very little trouble in convincing 4 needed opponents to vote in favor of any bill the President presents.
"The congressional majority obtained will enable President Fernandez to choose the members of the new Constitutional and Electoral courts, the Central Electoral Board, the Chamber of Accounts and control the National Council of Magistrates that chooses the Supreme Court justices.
"He will also be able to unilaterally change dozens of laws that need to be modified so they respond to the new Constitution, and it also guarantees the continuing of the practice of borrowing locally and from abroad, and will enable the government to levy tax increases to cover its fiscal deficit," he writes.
"Summing up: total power," he concludes.
Diaz says that the results clearly came about because of the use and abuse of government resources, without the least inhibition, but he credits the government for being efficient and planning the electoral sweep. He comments on the effectiveness of monopolizing radio and TV, and manipulating government social plans that benefit 1.5 million people with government subsidies, and who in many cases were taken to vote intimidated by those who had the lists of those on the subsidies in their hands.
Diaz concludes that Fernandez is now not only the undisputed leader of the PLD, but also of 13 allied parties. He comments that the vote for the PLD declined from 46.35% in 2006 to 44.94% in 2008, and now to 40.82%. But the allies contributed 455,891 votes, so the party would receive 54.62% of the vote, more than the 52.31% in 2006 and the 53.83% in 2008.
He comments that the PRD and allies increased from 40.48% in the 2008 presidential election to a 41.89% vote now, but was left without a single senate seat, despite having increased deputies from 60 to 75 and mayor posts from 52 to 57. This occurred at a time when the PLD increased from 24 to 31 senators and 96 to 105 the number of deputies and 67 to 92 mayor seats. "Both parties fed off the PRSC that continued in its decline, being merged into the PLD," he writes. This despite having improved 1.5% to achieve 6% of the vote, but less than the 10.96% in 2006.
He comments that 44% of the population didn't bother to go to vote. He mentions that in Santo Domingo, the National District and Santiago, abstention was the highest, at 50%. And in the poorest of the provinces, vote was the highest - Independencia, Ocoa, Dajabon, Azua and Santiago where the vote was 70%.
"The map of abstention suggests that those living in the poorest areas were those who voted the most, probably stimulated by campaign gifts and the fear of losing the subsidies received from the government.
www.hoy.com.do/tema-de-hoy/2010/5/22/326882/Solo-Leonel-gano-el-44-no-eligio (http://www.hoy.com.do/tema-de-hoy/2010/5/22/326882/Solo-Leonel-gano-el-44-no-eligio)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)
He comments that with 105 of the 183 deputies, and 4 in the hands of ally PRSC, the PLD will only need 4 for the necessary two-thirds majority for important decisions such as modifying the Constitution so he can run for re-election in 2012, as called for by his supporters for when he campaigned nationwide during the congressional and municipal election.
Diaz says history shows the PLD will have very little trouble in convincing 4 needed opponents to vote in favor of any bill the President presents.
"The congressional majority obtained will enable President Fernandez to choose the members of the new Constitutional and Electoral courts, the Central Electoral Board, the Chamber of Accounts and control the National Council of Magistrates that chooses the Supreme Court justices.
"He will also be able to unilaterally change dozens of laws that need to be modified so they respond to the new Constitution, and it also guarantees the continuing of the practice of borrowing locally and from abroad, and will enable the government to levy tax increases to cover its fiscal deficit," he writes.
"Summing up: total power," he concludes.
Diaz says that the results clearly came about because of the use and abuse of government resources, without the least inhibition, but he credits the government for being efficient and planning the electoral sweep. He comments on the effectiveness of monopolizing radio and TV, and manipulating government social plans that benefit 1.5 million people with government subsidies, and who in many cases were taken to vote intimidated by those who had the lists of those on the subsidies in their hands.
Diaz concludes that Fernandez is now not only the undisputed leader of the PLD, but also of 13 allied parties. He comments that the vote for the PLD declined from 46.35% in 2006 to 44.94% in 2008, and now to 40.82%. But the allies contributed 455,891 votes, so the party would receive 54.62% of the vote, more than the 52.31% in 2006 and the 53.83% in 2008.
He comments that the PRD and allies increased from 40.48% in the 2008 presidential election to a 41.89% vote now, but was left without a single senate seat, despite having increased deputies from 60 to 75 and mayor posts from 52 to 57. This occurred at a time when the PLD increased from 24 to 31 senators and 96 to 105 the number of deputies and 67 to 92 mayor seats. "Both parties fed off the PRSC that continued in its decline, being merged into the PLD," he writes. This despite having improved 1.5% to achieve 6% of the vote, but less than the 10.96% in 2006.
He comments that 44% of the population didn't bother to go to vote. He mentions that in Santo Domingo, the National District and Santiago, abstention was the highest, at 50%. And in the poorest of the provinces, vote was the highest - Independencia, Ocoa, Dajabon, Azua and Santiago where the vote was 70%.
"The map of abstention suggests that those living in the poorest areas were those who voted the most, probably stimulated by campaign gifts and the fear of losing the subsidies received from the government.
www.hoy.com.do/tema-de-hoy/2010/5/22/326882/Solo-Leonel-gano-el-44-no-eligio (http://www.hoy.com.do/tema-de-hoy/2010/5/22/326882/Solo-Leonel-gano-el-44-no-eligio)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)