NewsWhore
12-15-2010, 04:20 PM
Campaigners leading the national call for government to fulfill Education Law 66-97 that calls for 4% of GDP to be allocated to education face the difficult task of meeting with President Leonel Fernandez on the issue. Economy Minister Temistocles Montas has said the government could call a meeting with representatives of the Coalition for Dignified Education. President Leonel Fernandez is a sage political manipulator, which could make it difficult for the campaigners to make any gains against his wishes.
A recent Gallup Poll by Hoy newspaper found that the call for the 4% has the support of 91% of the population. The call reflects the growing dissatisfaction among citizens with rampant corruption and questionable priorities in government allocating tax revenues and increased foreign loans.
The support to the 4% for education call led by the Centro Juan Montalvo, a Catholic Church economic research and think tank, is described by Claudio Acosta in today's Hoy as "a exemplary exercise of proactive, responsible and committed citizenship."
Sociologist Ramon Tejada Holguin told Hoy that the support for the 4% mass-campaign is a demonstration that the government has to respect the law.
Political scientist Daniel Pou says: "Something interesting has happened, and we have to give it the correct reading. Society has positioned itself above the political class, of the political parties."
The widespread national support led deputies to send the budget to commission for study yesterday. The ruling PLD party holds the majority in Congress, but the mounting pressure garnered the support of the PRD deputies, eight PRSC legislators, three minority organizations and the dissident vote of five PLD deputies plus the abstention of other five PLD deputies. 88 deputies voted in favor, and 86 against. This is extraordinary for a Congress that has been known for its open complicity with the Fernandez administration bills.
Ironically, the General Law on Education 66-97 was an initiative by President Leonel Fernandez during his first presidential term. Fernandez has been a strong verbal advocate of the importance of education for development during his first presidency, but the DR is known as the Latin American country that spends the least on education, and quality of education indicators have been sliding for the past six years of Fernandez government.
Meanwhile, the Chamber of Deputies has convened a session for Thursday to pass the budget.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)
A recent Gallup Poll by Hoy newspaper found that the call for the 4% has the support of 91% of the population. The call reflects the growing dissatisfaction among citizens with rampant corruption and questionable priorities in government allocating tax revenues and increased foreign loans.
The support to the 4% for education call led by the Centro Juan Montalvo, a Catholic Church economic research and think tank, is described by Claudio Acosta in today's Hoy as "a exemplary exercise of proactive, responsible and committed citizenship."
Sociologist Ramon Tejada Holguin told Hoy that the support for the 4% mass-campaign is a demonstration that the government has to respect the law.
Political scientist Daniel Pou says: "Something interesting has happened, and we have to give it the correct reading. Society has positioned itself above the political class, of the political parties."
The widespread national support led deputies to send the budget to commission for study yesterday. The ruling PLD party holds the majority in Congress, but the mounting pressure garnered the support of the PRD deputies, eight PRSC legislators, three minority organizations and the dissident vote of five PLD deputies plus the abstention of other five PLD deputies. 88 deputies voted in favor, and 86 against. This is extraordinary for a Congress that has been known for its open complicity with the Fernandez administration bills.
Ironically, the General Law on Education 66-97 was an initiative by President Leonel Fernandez during his first presidential term. Fernandez has been a strong verbal advocate of the importance of education for development during his first presidency, but the DR is known as the Latin American country that spends the least on education, and quality of education indicators have been sliding for the past six years of Fernandez government.
Meanwhile, the Chamber of Deputies has convened a session for Thursday to pass the budget.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)