NewsWhore
08-29-2007, 05:30 PM
Temple University professor Rosario Espinal analyzes the changes in Dominican electioneering in Hoy today. She says that in politics there is always the big risk that pragmatism will annihilate idealism. She says that the PLD is now on this road, the same way as the PRD in the 80s, when it abandoned its democratic ideals without apologizing to the people. She says that the notion of party-market reached its maximum expression in 2000-2004 when Hipolito Mejia distributed government funds to lure his principal opponents.
"In recent days, the new appointments confirm that the pragmatism of profiteering is the ideology that guides political decisions as politicians from big and small opposition parties have been appointed to government. "Partycracy reigns and political prostitution proliferates," she writes in Hoy.
She speculates that the appointment of the small party leaders is a move to impede that a Fourth Way option, where a fourth candidate would garner sympathies of voters without allegiances to the PLD, PRD and PRSC candidates, could come forth. She also explains that the appointments are a message to all Dominican politicians that the doors of government are open to everyone who wants to support Fernandez's reelection. The downside of the strategy is that sectors that had hoped for an improvement in government with the appointment of outstanding officials were left waiting and could no longer support the PLD. But then she says that discontented voters are unlikely to vote for the PRD or PRSC candidates. "Many will abstain, and their discontent will not damage the PLD in the polls," she concludes.
"It is very probable that those pragmatic calculations are behind the recent appointments, which could lead to electoral gains. But with these acts, the PLD confirms that it is using a strong pesticide to eliminate the idealism that created the party. Maybe when they want to retake their political ideals it will be to late to convince a battered population, which is what happened with the PRD. We understand that politics is a struggle for power. But there are many ways to secure this, some more worthy of praise than others," she concludes.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)
"In recent days, the new appointments confirm that the pragmatism of profiteering is the ideology that guides political decisions as politicians from big and small opposition parties have been appointed to government. "Partycracy reigns and political prostitution proliferates," she writes in Hoy.
She speculates that the appointment of the small party leaders is a move to impede that a Fourth Way option, where a fourth candidate would garner sympathies of voters without allegiances to the PLD, PRD and PRSC candidates, could come forth. She also explains that the appointments are a message to all Dominican politicians that the doors of government are open to everyone who wants to support Fernandez's reelection. The downside of the strategy is that sectors that had hoped for an improvement in government with the appointment of outstanding officials were left waiting and could no longer support the PLD. But then she says that discontented voters are unlikely to vote for the PRD or PRSC candidates. "Many will abstain, and their discontent will not damage the PLD in the polls," she concludes.
"It is very probable that those pragmatic calculations are behind the recent appointments, which could lead to electoral gains. But with these acts, the PLD confirms that it is using a strong pesticide to eliminate the idealism that created the party. Maybe when they want to retake their political ideals it will be to late to convince a battered population, which is what happened with the PRD. We understand that politics is a struggle for power. But there are many ways to secure this, some more worthy of praise than others," she concludes.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)