NewsWhore
08-09-2011, 03:10 PM
The latest Wikileaks released by the news group SIN, focuses on what is described as the distance that Danilo Medina kept with President Leonel Fernandez. The diplomatic cable dated 25 August 2008 and filed by Ambassador Robert Fannin, released yesterday by Grupo SIN media, mentions that Medina is the second leading figure in the PLD after President Fernandez, as well as the strategist behind the organization's growth from a third place party in 1980 to a party that holds the presidency and controls both houses of Congress in 2006.
On constitutional reform, there are comments on the meeting of the PLD Political Committee called on 11 August in order to push for a quick approval of the amendments that Fernandez had suggested. One of these amendments was to limit a President to two consecutive terms but would allow the Chief of State to seek the nomination once again in four years. Medina said he voted against the proposal even though this would allow him to seek re-election in 2012, because he is against re-election by principle.
The cable contains comments by Medina who criticized the 16 August 2008 inauguration speech by Fernandez, since it promised more public works projects than the government had money to pay for and the government would simply go into more debt to finance these. Medina was also critical of what he considers the excessive defense of the peso, which has caused interests rates to rise, as well as of Finance Minister Bengoa, who he described as a "yes man."
Medina praised the justice system for the convictions obtained in the BanInter scandal.
He also touched on drug traffickers and politicians, the massacre at Paya in Bani and the fact that the fight against corruption has to begin inside the parties. Fannin reports that in the conversation Medina said that corruption was a serious problem in political parties. He said that many politicians accept campaign contributions from narcotics traffickers. These types of contributions range, according to Medina, from officials who do not know (or fail to investigate whether) they are receiving narco money, to those who proactively approach narcos in their districts to essentially shake them down. Regarding the recent drug-related multiple murder case in Bani, Medina praised Senator Wilton Guerrero (PLD-Peravia), who has made allegations of official complicity in the drug trade in that area.
The commentary by the diplomatic officer says that while Medina has always kept criticism of Fernandez out of the media, during this closed-door meeting it was evident that he Medina has always kept his criticism of
Fernandez out of the press; however, this meeting showed that behind closed doors he has the dagger out for the President.
With Fernandez likely to be barred from running again in 2012, Fannin forecast in 2008 that all indications were that Medina would be the front-runner for the PLD nomination.
See the files in English at the end of the Spanish translation at http://www.noticiassin.com/2011/08/wikileaks-revela-criticas-de-danilo-medina-a-actuaciones-del-presidente-leonel-fernandez/
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#9)
On constitutional reform, there are comments on the meeting of the PLD Political Committee called on 11 August in order to push for a quick approval of the amendments that Fernandez had suggested. One of these amendments was to limit a President to two consecutive terms but would allow the Chief of State to seek the nomination once again in four years. Medina said he voted against the proposal even though this would allow him to seek re-election in 2012, because he is against re-election by principle.
The cable contains comments by Medina who criticized the 16 August 2008 inauguration speech by Fernandez, since it promised more public works projects than the government had money to pay for and the government would simply go into more debt to finance these. Medina was also critical of what he considers the excessive defense of the peso, which has caused interests rates to rise, as well as of Finance Minister Bengoa, who he described as a "yes man."
Medina praised the justice system for the convictions obtained in the BanInter scandal.
He also touched on drug traffickers and politicians, the massacre at Paya in Bani and the fact that the fight against corruption has to begin inside the parties. Fannin reports that in the conversation Medina said that corruption was a serious problem in political parties. He said that many politicians accept campaign contributions from narcotics traffickers. These types of contributions range, according to Medina, from officials who do not know (or fail to investigate whether) they are receiving narco money, to those who proactively approach narcos in their districts to essentially shake them down. Regarding the recent drug-related multiple murder case in Bani, Medina praised Senator Wilton Guerrero (PLD-Peravia), who has made allegations of official complicity in the drug trade in that area.
The commentary by the diplomatic officer says that while Medina has always kept criticism of Fernandez out of the media, during this closed-door meeting it was evident that he Medina has always kept his criticism of
Fernandez out of the press; however, this meeting showed that behind closed doors he has the dagger out for the President.
With Fernandez likely to be barred from running again in 2012, Fannin forecast in 2008 that all indications were that Medina would be the front-runner for the PLD nomination.
See the files in English at the end of the Spanish translation at http://www.noticiassin.com/2011/08/wikileaks-revela-criticas-de-danilo-medina-a-actuaciones-del-presidente-leonel-fernandez/
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#9)