NewsWhore
08-23-2007, 05:40 PM
In an article in Clave Digital, former rector of INTEC University Rafael Toribio speculates that the recent changes in the cabinet, which he says most of the population received with surprise and indignation, are moves that could end up losing more votes than they would gain for President Leonel Fernandez, who seeks to be reelected in the May 2008 election. He says the government had been urged to make changes in order to breathe new life into government, and especially since several officials had been strongly criticized for their performance, in some cases for serious conflicts of interest.
"The appointment of new faces to the government team was suggested to give the feeling that there would not be more of the same in the new government once reelected," he writes. He continues, "But no. Instead of replacing his close allies, he rotated them and the new ones are well-known old faces whose loyalty could be bought. The opportunity is instead used to prove adherence to clientelism and primitive and denigrating political electioneering, both for whoever offers and whoever takes.
"Instead of a cabinet that will put the government back on track, what has been put together is a sort of Re-election Front, based in the Presidential Palace, which is also in charge of managing government.
"All this amidst the repeated insistence that we are immersed in a democratic revolution that consists of institutional strengthening, a rational, efficient and modern state, when instead we are increasing the government payroll, paying for eventual political loyalties with a government job, favoring political leaders with no-one to lead.
"While there is talk of rationality and modernity, the state is Balkanized handing over parts of it to political defectors, who will administer it for their own benefit and for their followers, in exchange for supporting re-election.
"Do these appointments add or subtract? Those appointed will add little, because they have never had many followers. The percentage of citizens that is not committed to a party, which grows larger by the day, and which uses its vote to reward or punish actions and behaviors, I do not believe can be satisfied with these appointments. And I think neither can be many in the PLD party, whether they are in the government or not.
"Unfortunately for the country, for the PLD and even for the President, we will have to continue watching and putting up with more decisions like these. They are contradictions on the road to re-election.
"If that is what 'e palante que vamos' (we are going forward) means, how unfortunate!"
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#12)
"The appointment of new faces to the government team was suggested to give the feeling that there would not be more of the same in the new government once reelected," he writes. He continues, "But no. Instead of replacing his close allies, he rotated them and the new ones are well-known old faces whose loyalty could be bought. The opportunity is instead used to prove adherence to clientelism and primitive and denigrating political electioneering, both for whoever offers and whoever takes.
"Instead of a cabinet that will put the government back on track, what has been put together is a sort of Re-election Front, based in the Presidential Palace, which is also in charge of managing government.
"All this amidst the repeated insistence that we are immersed in a democratic revolution that consists of institutional strengthening, a rational, efficient and modern state, when instead we are increasing the government payroll, paying for eventual political loyalties with a government job, favoring political leaders with no-one to lead.
"While there is talk of rationality and modernity, the state is Balkanized handing over parts of it to political defectors, who will administer it for their own benefit and for their followers, in exchange for supporting re-election.
"Do these appointments add or subtract? Those appointed will add little, because they have never had many followers. The percentage of citizens that is not committed to a party, which grows larger by the day, and which uses its vote to reward or punish actions and behaviors, I do not believe can be satisfied with these appointments. And I think neither can be many in the PLD party, whether they are in the government or not.
"Unfortunately for the country, for the PLD and even for the President, we will have to continue watching and putting up with more decisions like these. They are contradictions on the road to re-election.
"If that is what 'e palante que vamos' (we are going forward) means, how unfortunate!"
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#12)