NewsWhore
10-18-2006, 03:20 PM
Former President Hipolito Mejia says that if his party's convention were to be held today, he would cast his vote for Miguel Vargas Maldonado, who served as minister of public works during his administration. Commenting on the current debate over just what to change in the Constitution, Mejia said that he was reminded of the Dominican saying that "stumbles make you lift your feet." He was referring, of course, to the issue of Presidential re-election. In the former President's opinion, the Constitutional amendment that his administration passed and that allowed for a sitting President to seek re-election was a mistake. He said that the history of Dominican politics showed that re-election was a bad idea. Mejia amended the constitution in July 2002, allowing him to run for a second consecutive term, which was previously not allowed in the DR. Listin Diario claims that Mejia said that friends and followers within his party had urged him to run. In his usual, down-to-earth manner, Mejia said that there were too many major problems facing the Fernandez administration for them to waste time talking about such "monkey business" or foolishness.
Senate president Reinaldo Pared Perez (PLD) responded to ex-President Mejia's comments by saying that the former leader has no moral right to comment on the proposed constitutional reforms by President Leonel Fernandez. Pared Perez continued by explaining that Mejia himself reformed the constitution with the explicit intent of allowing for his re-election. Pared Perez made his feelings clear and said that if Fernandez ever chooses to run again he will do so because of the constitutional changes made by Mejia himself. Pared Perez exhorted the PRD leadership to join in the discussions on the subject of the constitutional reforms because up this point the party has boycotted the idea.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)
Senate president Reinaldo Pared Perez (PLD) responded to ex-President Mejia's comments by saying that the former leader has no moral right to comment on the proposed constitutional reforms by President Leonel Fernandez. Pared Perez continued by explaining that Mejia himself reformed the constitution with the explicit intent of allowing for his re-election. Pared Perez made his feelings clear and said that if Fernandez ever chooses to run again he will do so because of the constitutional changes made by Mejia himself. Pared Perez exhorted the PRD leadership to join in the discussions on the subject of the constitutional reforms because up this point the party has boycotted the idea.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)