Dominican Election
The July 4 editorial proclaimed, “New Era for Dominican Republic: A clean election marks the end of Balaguer’s long dominance.” Really?
Everyone agrees this was a clean and fair election. But the party of the newly elected president, Leonel Fernandez, a lawyer raised in New York City, has only one seat in the 30-member Dominican Senate, and 12 out of 120 representatives in the Chamber of Deputies. Control of the Congress remains where it has been for four decades: in the hands of Joaquin Balaguer and his alter ego and fellow octogenarian, Juan Bosch.
Can Fernandez be anything more than a figurehead to attract U.S. dollars for the profit and power of the de facto rulers of the Dominican Republic, Balaguer and company?
NICHOLAS V. SEIDITA
Northridge
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