International
The president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, will assume his second term determined to reform the Constitution
The president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, will assume his second and last term of government next Friday after achieving re-election last May, and he will do so with a view to a constitutional reform, criticized by many, and a fiscal reform, which has been postponed for years.
Just hours before the results of the May elections were known, Abinader, of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM, liberal and progressive), announced his intention to change the Constitution, which would be the fourth reform of this century, and everything indicates that he will do so.
Trusting that this “is the last” reform, Abinader, a 57-year-old economist, should not have major inconveniences in bringing this proposal of changes in the Magna Carta to fruition, if it is taken into account that the PRM will mostly control the National Congress from Friday, after rising in the elections with 29 of the 32 senators and 146 of the 190 deputies.
The initiative, which will be presented to Congress coinciding with the investiture, has among its main objectives to prevent changes to the rules of the presidential election (limited to two consecutive terms), consolidate the independence of the Public Ministry (Public Prosecutor’s Office), reduce the number of deputies and unify the holding of elections, according to the proposal presented by Abinader a few days ago to the press.
It is not, he said then, “a conjunctural reform driven by partisan political needs or individual aspirations,” but it is “thought for the benefit of the community” and to consolidate the principles of democracy, transparency and institutionality, as “a shielding of democracy.”
But, at the same time that the Government and the PRM defend the eventual reform, there is also a growing criticism from the opposition, which considers a change of the Magna Carta to be inopportune.
Among the critics is former president Leonel Fernández, who faced Abinader in the elections and who considers that the best way to protect the Constitution is not to touch it, although he already did it in 2010.
In return, the three-time president of the Dominican Republic, whose party, the People’s Force, is the second formation in the National Congress, proposes that the referendum law be approved, which is contemplated in the 2010 Constitution, but still without legislation in this regard.
The questions have also been joined by prosecutors, who fear that, through the reform, the Superior Council of the Public Ministry will be eliminated, which Abinader denies.
Along with the constitutional change, Abinader also has a tax reform in the sights.
Dominican Republic – with an average annual growth rate of approximately 5% for decades and which, as reported on Tuesday by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), will lead the growth of the region with 5.2% in 2024 – has had a fiscal reform pending for years, a promise already of Abinader’s campaign for the 2020 elections.
In fact, just two months after assuming power for the first time and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Abinader presented a plan with new taxes to face the crisis, but ended up withdrawing it due to criticism.
Representatives of the public sector, the private sector and even international organizations understand that the reform is urgent.
According to a recent report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), fiscal reform can help the Dominican Republic attract more investment.
However, “beyond the much-needed increase in tax revenues,” the comprehensive tax reform “should include the adoption of a tax rule that establishes limits on long-term public debt, which would increase certainty and help safeguard fiscal sustainability,” says the IMF.
Another “critically important” reform, according to the IMF, is to address the failures of the electricity sector, which come from far away and have generated significant losses, which average between 1% and 2% of annual GDP in the last decade.
Apart from these issues, Abinader will also have to face long-standing social debts in the next four years, along with the deficient health system, labor informality or insecurity.
And at the same time it will have to face the increasingly chaotic traffic, which every year causes between 3,000 and 4,000 deaths, making the country one of the first places in the world in road deaths.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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