NewsWhore
10-19-2011, 03:00 PM
The Chamber of Deputies has approved a first reading of the RD$430 billion National Budget as received from President Leonel Fernandez without amendments. The Senate had sent the budget without reviewing it, and while the Deputies sent the budget to a study commission, the final decision was to approve it without any changes. 88 deputies voted in favor, and 75 against. A second reading of the budget is still scheduled for Thursday, 20 October at 10am.
The PRD and PRSC deputies voted against the bill, with the exception of Marino Collante of the PRSC. Five PLD deputies (Minou Tavarez Mirabal, Radhames Camacho, Mario Hidalgo, Guadalupe Valdez and Manuel Jimenez) voted against passing the bill as received.
"The generosity towards the Executive is in line with the ruling party's majority control of the chambers, which have acted in keeping with the circumstantial interests of a pre-electoral year, while ignoring the demands of the education, justice and municipality sector interests," according to an editorial in today's El Caribe. The editorialist writes that the PLD majority has taken the easy way out and acted on the understanding that if any changes are made it will have to negotiate with the opposition to pass the budget.
The editorialist continues by saying that there are sectors that say that the budget violates Art. 112 of the Constitution, because its content does not take into consideration rules that require the approval of two thirds of those present in both chambers in order to be changed.
Article 112 of the Constitution on Fundamental (Organic) Laws states: "Fundamental laws are those that by their nature regulate fundamental rights, the structure and organization of the branches of government, public duties, the electoral system, the economic and financial system, the budget, public planning and investment, the territorial organization, constitutional procedures, security and defense, those matters specifically mentioned in the Constitution, and other matters of a similar nature. The approval or amendment of fundamental laws shall require the affirmative vote of two thirds of the members present in both houses of Congress".
Meanwhile, the National Business Council (Conep) reiterated that the National Budget needs the approval of two-thirds of those present for it to be legal.
The Foundation for Institutionalism and Justice (Finjus) warned that the budget as sent by the President allocates funds in a way that affects the financial autonomy of other branches of government and public control bodies and ignores the priorities of spending in social rights in line with a democratic society as stipulated in Art. 7 of the Constitution.
Finjus said, as reported in Diario Libre, that the way the budget is worded gives the President the discretion to distribute administratively and without congressional control, the chapters that correspond to government dependencies, a violation of Art. 233 of the Constitution. Art. 233 states: Preparation of the Budget. The Executive Branch shall prepare a General Appropriation Bill, which shall include projected revenues, proposed expenditures and the needed funding, within a framework of fiscal sustainability, that ensures that public indebtedness is consistent with the state's ability to pay. The bill shall individually allocate funds to the various departments of the state.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)
The PRD and PRSC deputies voted against the bill, with the exception of Marino Collante of the PRSC. Five PLD deputies (Minou Tavarez Mirabal, Radhames Camacho, Mario Hidalgo, Guadalupe Valdez and Manuel Jimenez) voted against passing the bill as received.
"The generosity towards the Executive is in line with the ruling party's majority control of the chambers, which have acted in keeping with the circumstantial interests of a pre-electoral year, while ignoring the demands of the education, justice and municipality sector interests," according to an editorial in today's El Caribe. The editorialist writes that the PLD majority has taken the easy way out and acted on the understanding that if any changes are made it will have to negotiate with the opposition to pass the budget.
The editorialist continues by saying that there are sectors that say that the budget violates Art. 112 of the Constitution, because its content does not take into consideration rules that require the approval of two thirds of those present in both chambers in order to be changed.
Article 112 of the Constitution on Fundamental (Organic) Laws states: "Fundamental laws are those that by their nature regulate fundamental rights, the structure and organization of the branches of government, public duties, the electoral system, the economic and financial system, the budget, public planning and investment, the territorial organization, constitutional procedures, security and defense, those matters specifically mentioned in the Constitution, and other matters of a similar nature. The approval or amendment of fundamental laws shall require the affirmative vote of two thirds of the members present in both houses of Congress".
Meanwhile, the National Business Council (Conep) reiterated that the National Budget needs the approval of two-thirds of those present for it to be legal.
The Foundation for Institutionalism and Justice (Finjus) warned that the budget as sent by the President allocates funds in a way that affects the financial autonomy of other branches of government and public control bodies and ignores the priorities of spending in social rights in line with a democratic society as stipulated in Art. 7 of the Constitution.
Finjus said, as reported in Diario Libre, that the way the budget is worded gives the President the discretion to distribute administratively and without congressional control, the chapters that correspond to government dependencies, a violation of Art. 233 of the Constitution. Art. 233 states: Preparation of the Budget. The Executive Branch shall prepare a General Appropriation Bill, which shall include projected revenues, proposed expenditures and the needed funding, within a framework of fiscal sustainability, that ensures that public indebtedness is consistent with the state's ability to pay. The bill shall individually allocate funds to the various departments of the state.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)