Expectations about cabinet changes

[NewsWhore]

Dominican heads of state usually make changes to their cabinets on 16 August and 27 February, and expectations are growing as the latter date grows nearer. On this particular occasion, President Leonel Fernandez will be obliged to make changes because some of his current cabinet members were elected to Congress or as Mayors in the May 16 mid-term elections. Diario Libre reports that among those who are due for substitution are Agriculture Minister Amilcar Romero, Attorney General Francisco Dominguez Brito, Higher Education Deputy Minister Diego Aquino, and Interior and Police Deputy Minister Julio Horton, who were all elected as lawmakers. Also expected to be replaced are the Governors of Hato Mayor, Puerto Plata, Monsenor Nouel, Dajabon, Espaillat and San Juan, Ruben de la Cruz ("Ruben Toyota"), Francis Vargas, Felix Nova, Sonia Mateo, Guarocuya Cabral and Ramon de la Rosa, respectively. EDESUR Administration Council members Gustavo Sanchez and Elso Martinez will also have to be replaced because they were both elected as deputies. Rumor has it that either Executive Branch Legal Consultant Cesar Pina Toribio or Radhames Jimenez will be appointed to the post of Attorney General. Dominican Agrarian Institute (IAD) Director Salvador Jimenez or Victor Diaz Rua could be appointed to the post of Agriculture Minister, whereas the current director of INAPA is being mentioned as a possible substitute for Public Works Minister Freddy Perez. Changes are also expected on the Monetary Board, in the Central Bank and the Ministry of Foreign Relations. The Armed Forces organic law establishes that the Armed Forces Minister should be substituted every two years, so this is naturally another source of rumors. However, there are precedents for this order not being followed, as was the case of Jose Miguel Soto Jimenez who served in this post for four years.

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