NewsWhore
07-28-2006, 02:10 PM
There seems to be two factions within the Executive Branch. Legal advisor to the President, Cesar Pina Toribio sent a letter on 19 July to the Senate asking them to review the million square meter artificial island bill. The project calls for the construction of residential towers, hotels and marina facilities along the eastern side of the Santo Domingo Malecon at an estimated cost of US$450 million.
The PRD-majority Congress proceeded to give its approval to the project at midnight, as one of the final acts prior to the end of the legislature.
On the other hand, several government and PLD party spokesmen have rejected the bill and divorce it from support of the government. The press director of the Presidential Palace, Rafael Nunez told El Dia that the artificial island is a failed project that would not be approved by President Fernandez. He said the paperwork was sent to the Congress by "confusion."
Nunez called it a "fantasy island" that had sunk. Meanwhile, spokesman for the President, Roberto Rodriguez Marchena said that President Fernandez would have the final word on the project.
President Fernandez initially supported the project, but widespread rejection and differences between the same promoters of the project led him to announce in January 2006 that the government would no longer support the private project.
The secretary general of the ruling PLD party, Santo Domingo senator-elect Reinaldo Pared Perez called the projects "dirty tricks" of government officers played over the past two weeks. Pared Perez said that projects such as the Enade for collecting on sales of government property and the US$132 million for police equipping are questionable. He called out to the government officers, especially those that are members of the PDL, to help President Fernandez do a good government. Journalist Rafael Molina Morillo in his column in Hoy newspaper adds the RD$400 million in tree purchases for the Santiago park to the list of questionable projects approved by the government.
The Association of Hotels of Santo Domingo again spoke out to reject the artificial island project. "We are again organizing protests because we cannot accept losing this major selling point," stated Roberto Henriquez, president of the organization. Several of the city's largest hotels are located on the sea-fronting Malecon.
Meanwhile, geologist Osiris de Leon described the congressional approval as "inconceivable" when the promoters haven't carried out the least of environmental studies to support the project. He said the approval of simply a vague idea is a "capital irresponsibility" of the legislators. He said it is timely that President Fernandez reject the contract that establishes that places the state as guarantor of the project and responsible in case a natural phenomenon may cause damages to the property.
And the Academy of Science and environmental groups announced that protests against the island would resume.
Diario Libre points out that despite the accelerated approval, the press has not been able to speak to any spokesperson for the Santo Domingo Re-Development Ltd company that received the go-ahead of the legislators.
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)
The PRD-majority Congress proceeded to give its approval to the project at midnight, as one of the final acts prior to the end of the legislature.
On the other hand, several government and PLD party spokesmen have rejected the bill and divorce it from support of the government. The press director of the Presidential Palace, Rafael Nunez told El Dia that the artificial island is a failed project that would not be approved by President Fernandez. He said the paperwork was sent to the Congress by "confusion."
Nunez called it a "fantasy island" that had sunk. Meanwhile, spokesman for the President, Roberto Rodriguez Marchena said that President Fernandez would have the final word on the project.
President Fernandez initially supported the project, but widespread rejection and differences between the same promoters of the project led him to announce in January 2006 that the government would no longer support the private project.
The secretary general of the ruling PLD party, Santo Domingo senator-elect Reinaldo Pared Perez called the projects "dirty tricks" of government officers played over the past two weeks. Pared Perez said that projects such as the Enade for collecting on sales of government property and the US$132 million for police equipping are questionable. He called out to the government officers, especially those that are members of the PDL, to help President Fernandez do a good government. Journalist Rafael Molina Morillo in his column in Hoy newspaper adds the RD$400 million in tree purchases for the Santiago park to the list of questionable projects approved by the government.
The Association of Hotels of Santo Domingo again spoke out to reject the artificial island project. "We are again organizing protests because we cannot accept losing this major selling point," stated Roberto Henriquez, president of the organization. Several of the city's largest hotels are located on the sea-fronting Malecon.
Meanwhile, geologist Osiris de Leon described the congressional approval as "inconceivable" when the promoters haven't carried out the least of environmental studies to support the project. He said the approval of simply a vague idea is a "capital irresponsibility" of the legislators. He said it is timely that President Fernandez reject the contract that establishes that places the state as guarantor of the project and responsible in case a natural phenomenon may cause damages to the property.
And the Academy of Science and environmental groups announced that protests against the island would resume.
Diario Libre points out that despite the accelerated approval, the press has not been able to speak to any spokesperson for the Santo Domingo Re-Development Ltd company that received the go-ahead of the legislators.
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)