NewsWhore
04-11-2011, 04:20 PM
On Friday, President Leonel Fernandez announced he would not be seeking another Presidential term. In his declaration he said there was no unsurmountable legal impediment, citing that Arts. 210 and 270 in the 2010 Constitution that deal with a national referendum could be used to get around the Art. 124 that states that the President "cannot be elected for the next constitutional period."
In a speech on Friday, he said: "Thirteen years after, with considerable support of national sectors, and of most of the members of the party, with real perspectives of a new electoral victory, without an unsurpassable legal impediment, only to do what we consider is correct, to avoid possible tensions among Dominicans, consolidate our democratic process and to establish even more the new Constitution, I, for the second occasion, do what has not been done in Dominican history, decline, in a voluntary and spontaneous manner, with high-mindedness, being the PLD candidate again."
Fernandez said he would assume a neutral role in the internal party competition to choose the PLD candidate in the 20 May 2012 presidential election. "I will not exercise any influence to slant the electoral balance in favor of any candidate," he told the nation and his followers.
Commenting on the announcement, Javier Cabreja, director of Citizen Participation, one of the most vocal groups against the President seeking re-election said: "The President should have sent a clear sign that he would not seek a new mandate some time ago. It is good that he has finally cleared any doubts about his re-election. I differ, nevertheless, from the reasons and arguments he has given in the sense that there was no impediment because it is clear that there was a legal and constitutional obstacle. What is important now is that government employees who dedicated so much time to re-election should now concentrate on the functions for which they were elected, and that the President should concentrate on the economic crisis."
Political analyst Pedro Catrain said: "Fernandez proved to be a cornered politician who tried to manipulate the Constitution of the Republic that does not allow re-election in any way. He also tried to manipulate politics, oblivious to the fact that a large section of society is taking a firm stand against the idea of continuity. I believe the President chose not to run, given the tutelage transition whereby he will control Congress, the Judicial Branch, the electoral branch and the Chamber of Accounts. He will initiate a period in which he will be the decisive figure in government. Regardless of who is the candidate, Fernandez will be the fundamental player."
The president of the National Council of Business (Conep) Manuel Diez said the decision by Fernandez strengthens Dominican institutions and democracy. He called for the nation's attention to now focus on resolving the nation's problems.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)
In a speech on Friday, he said: "Thirteen years after, with considerable support of national sectors, and of most of the members of the party, with real perspectives of a new electoral victory, without an unsurpassable legal impediment, only to do what we consider is correct, to avoid possible tensions among Dominicans, consolidate our democratic process and to establish even more the new Constitution, I, for the second occasion, do what has not been done in Dominican history, decline, in a voluntary and spontaneous manner, with high-mindedness, being the PLD candidate again."
Fernandez said he would assume a neutral role in the internal party competition to choose the PLD candidate in the 20 May 2012 presidential election. "I will not exercise any influence to slant the electoral balance in favor of any candidate," he told the nation and his followers.
Commenting on the announcement, Javier Cabreja, director of Citizen Participation, one of the most vocal groups against the President seeking re-election said: "The President should have sent a clear sign that he would not seek a new mandate some time ago. It is good that he has finally cleared any doubts about his re-election. I differ, nevertheless, from the reasons and arguments he has given in the sense that there was no impediment because it is clear that there was a legal and constitutional obstacle. What is important now is that government employees who dedicated so much time to re-election should now concentrate on the functions for which they were elected, and that the President should concentrate on the economic crisis."
Political analyst Pedro Catrain said: "Fernandez proved to be a cornered politician who tried to manipulate the Constitution of the Republic that does not allow re-election in any way. He also tried to manipulate politics, oblivious to the fact that a large section of society is taking a firm stand against the idea of continuity. I believe the President chose not to run, given the tutelage transition whereby he will control Congress, the Judicial Branch, the electoral branch and the Chamber of Accounts. He will initiate a period in which he will be the decisive figure in government. Regardless of who is the candidate, Fernandez will be the fundamental player."
The president of the National Council of Business (Conep) Manuel Diez said the decision by Fernandez strengthens Dominican institutions and democracy. He called for the nation's attention to now focus on resolving the nation's problems.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)