Santo Domingo.- Local newspaper Listin reports that although British ambassador Steven Fisher has yet to name it, court papers point toward Biwater International LTD as the UK company which allegedly left the country on its refusal to pay bribes.
It said the company (Biwater Dominicana, S.A., Consorcio, Biwatwer-Civilcad (now Biwater-Sinercon), left the country in October 2010 after to having built several aqueducts nationwide, among them San Francisco de Macorís, La Romana and San Cristóbal.
Citing court papers, the news source reports that Biwater faced litigation from 2002 to 2010, including a Supreme Court ruling that forced it to pay debts with Dominican contractors. It left the country in 2010 alleging that the Dominican Government reneged paying US$5 million on concluded work and from a lack of legal security.
In March 30, 2007, the National District 1st Civil and Commercial Court ordered Biwater International LTD to pay US$9.3 million to the contractor and plaintiff Fulgencio Marcelo Abreu. “Biwater Internacional LTD, is sentenced to pay the sum of nine million three hundred thirteen thousand eight hundred thirty and three dollars with 72 cents, of the United States of America, in favor of the plaintiff, Fulgencio Marcelo Abreu.”
“Later in May 30, 2008 the Second Chamber of the National District Civil and Commercial Appellate Court ruled against the appeal filed by Biwater International, and upheld the conviction. Then, on June 9, 2010 Supreme Court upheld the sentence that condemns the international company to pay the US$9,313,833.72.”
It said Biwater International operates in more than 50 countries and built works estimated in the hundreds of US$ millions locally, through calls for tenders by the government’s national aqueducts and sewage systems agency (INAPA).
Scandal
The scandal broke Wednesday when Fisher affirmed that Dominican Republic's alleged lack of legal security for foreign investment and extortion from officials forced several British companies to leave the country.
In addition to government officials, civil society organizations, including The Justice and Transparency Foundation, have asked Fisher to name names. In a statement issued Thursday, its president Trajano Potentini invited Fisher to channel his denunciation. He said the diplomat should submit forceful evidence and demand compliance by the Dominican Government.
Written by: matador, 26 Nov 2011 10:26 AM
From: United States, www.brugal-ron.com/home.php
Dont worry much Mr, Fisher we dominican are use to all this kind of manipulation by hour own goverment corrupts clowns.
Written by: Grosero, 26 Nov 2011 10:36 AM
From: United States
The British Crown second to none when it comes to the timeline of British Governments scandalous behavior
http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/RDavies/arian/scandals/political.htmlBritish Official Organizations, Political Parties and Companies
Lord Taylor guilty of making false expenses claims
Ex-Tory peer Lord Taylor of Warwick has been found guilty of making £11,277 in false parliamentary expenses claims. BBC, 25 January 2011.
Labour steps up pressure on Tories in Sheffield Forgemasters sleaze row
Andrew Cook, a millionaire Tory donor, who successfully lobbied for the cancellation of a government loan to a promising engineering company, admitted he had wanted to invest in it himself. Guardian, 22 July 2010.
'Grubby' Alex Salmond admits selling more lunches
Alex Salmond has been accused of “grubby behaviour” after he and his deputy admitted auctioning six events at the Scottish Parliament to raise money for the SNP. Daily Telegraph, 7 February 2010.
From: United States, words of wisdom from the nutcracker
give them bloody hell mate, screw the dominican government , if all they want is bribes , them lets give em bad press , companies from england will not put up with the dominicans corrupted ways , they want to be greedy rats , then you will get treated like one.
Written by: anthonyC, 26 Nov 2011 11:40 AM
From: United States
Grosero,
So typical of the attitude of those in the D.R. When confronted with their own shortcomings/corruption/sins they have to accuse others of even worse.
So sad.
Written by: RoyStone, 26 Nov 2011 11:46 AM
From: Australia
Grosero,
I very much doubt if companies will be pulling out of the United Kingdom over a parliamentarian making £11,277 in false parliamentary expenses. This is absolute chicken-feed compared to Dominican corruption which is crippling the country. Also when uncovered in the UK, there is outrage in parliament. In the Dominican Republic, corruption and graft is considered a justified perk of the job.
Failed state.
From: United States
While there may no doubt be blatant corruption in the DR as it is customary, this appears to be more of a contract dispute, some sort of a legal battle, rather then anything else. I mean Biwater Int'l Ltd must have been accustomed to dealing with situations which involve bribes and should have anticipated the possibility. It happens all over the world particularly in Lat America and paying for bribes is simply a cost of doing business. I personally do not condone corrupt practices, however from reading the posts you guys make it seem as though corruption is endemic only to the DR as if it does not happen elsewhere.
Now don't anyone tell me that Biwater did not encounter similar situations in the other 50 countries it operates but for some reason Fisher felt compeled to denounce it. If an entrepreneurial venture is not or longer profitable, the best option to take for any business is walk away, that is exactly what they did. But to claim they left the DR due to corruption is BS
Written by: RoyStone, 26 Nov 2011 12:34 PM
From: Australia
1) Businesses should not invest in this county unless they are prepared to pay bribes.
2) Tourists should not holiday in this country unless they are prepared to be robbed.
3) Motorists should not park in this country unless they are prepared to lose there hubcaps and mirrors.
Failed state
From: United States
Dominican corruption is driving away foreign direct investment. This news exposes an example of litigation risk a company has endured in the DR. All U.S. Companies are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and by U.S law cannot make payments to foreign government officials to assist in obtaining or to retaining business. I today’s economy no company can rationally afford this type of risk.
This is sad for the DR. Foreign investment can bring jobs, which provide living wages, to the country.
Written by: generoso, 26 Nov 2011 12:42 PM
From: United States, Quisqueya
UK ambassador Fisher denounced "several companies" not just Biwater Ltd. who is a credible and globally known company. Curious minds want to know the names of all the other companies. Many USA companies also complained of the same "toll gating" by high unnamed Dominican officials, in the Wiki leaks cables, so these news shouldn't surprise anyone.
Regarding the judgement that went all the way to the supreme court, that condoned Biwater Ltd. and was awarded to a Dominican sub-contractor of almost US$10 million in damages. We have to hear from the sub-contractor his side of the story as well.
There is an interesting photo of Leonel Fernandez in the completion of a Biwater project:
http://farrerconsulting.com/image....3-3373-40f8-b8df-7ef60d94d182.jpgWritten by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 12:42 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
"NOT EVEN FOREIGN INVESTORS ARE SAVE
The English Ambassador in the Dominican Republic reported that a company of Great Britain left the country because of government corruption and the lack of legal certainty. He also said that other British investors have been victims of bribery and have withdrawn their projects. This is abhorrent and shows where this government is rotten to the bone.
THEY ARE OFFENDED BUT DO NOT INVESTIGATE WHAT IS A LIVE WIKILEAKS
Meanwhile the spokesmen of the government rather than investigate these serious accusations act offended and classify the ambassador’s comments as reckless, when a few months ago Wikileaks cables also revealed the same practices of bribery with American companies."
http://www.acento.com.do/index.ph....s-se-salvan-de-la-corrupcion.htmlWritten by: generoso, 26 Nov 2011 1:05 PM
From: United States, Quisqueya
josean
Typical Stalinist technique of discrediting the contrarians. It works like this:
An adverse propaganda campaign begins accusing the accusers of even worst felonies and acts of improprieties, and character assassination to totally discredit and bring doubt into the accusers personal lives and reputation.
As an example already the UK ambassador is already being accused of being an outcast, a non conformist, someone who does not follow strict protocol, who is not diplomatic, et all. Next accusations will follow on Biwater Ltd., violations of the contract, faulty design, not adherence to specifications, and in some cases could get even worse and more personal, such as hiring illegal aliens, using child labor, sexual molestation of minors, illegal transfers of funds, non payment of labor taxes for workers, and many other concoctions of sick and corrupt minds, that will do anything to justify their abuse of power.
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 1:11 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
So if I understand it correctly our corrupt government delays its payments;
This causes the British company to delay its payments to the subcontractors;
The subcontractor takes its case to our corrupt courts and "wins" a judgment:
The British company loses the appeal and the Supreme Corrupt Court rules against them and in favor of the purple homeboys, who are most likely a front for the higher echelons of the national palace, another form of “legal extortion.”
This is the same Supreme Corrupt Court that refused to hear the Sun-Land Case, which involved an illegal loan that Lie-onel Fernandez and his homeboy "senator" Felix Bautista made without the approval of congress for $130,000,000 million dollars which have disappeared like Jimmy Hoffa.
This looks like the British company had as much chance as snowball in hell to get fair redress of their grievances in any Dominican venue.
Continued:
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 1:14 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
The corrupt gangs in the government and courts appear to have, pardon the pun, Ganged up on them.
This is so outrageous that no wonder the ambassador had to speak out publicly, if he had done this through the normal diplomatic channels it would have been filed in the circular file as almost 100% of complaints are adjudicate in the country.
Ambassdor Fisher you did the right thing maybe the rest of the dipolmates in DR will grow a pair and speak up as well!
Written by: generoso, 26 Nov 2011 1:29 PM
From: United States, Quisqueya
josean
Absolutely correct, and I am not only speaking from public information sources, but from personal experience in these matters.
The justice system in DR is corrupt to the core, and is putrified and nauseous, the judges, lawyers and justice system only exists in theory and are open to anyone with a fat wallet and contacts.
If you are a foreign businessman or are running a successful company, you can be targeted by corrupt individuals, in cahoots with corrupt to the core DA's out to sequester and even jail honest businessmen, until ransom monies are paid, to the government appointed legal gangsters.
I am assuming payment to Biwater Ltd. by INAPA was purposely delayed, distracted, or used for political purposes, since financing had been in place and approved by USExim Bank, and in turn this caused the sub contractor to sue Biwater Ltd. for non payment.
Written by: RoyStone, 26 Nov 2011 1:41 PM
From: Australia
Quick - shoot the messenger!
Failed state!
Written by: RoyStone, 26 Nov 2011 1:42 PM
From: Australia
Would the last businessman leaving the country please turn out the lights?
No need - the electricity's already been cut off.
Written by: Atabey, 26 Nov 2011 2:37 PM
From: United States, NYC
For those of you that would like to see how DR compares with other developing states the recent IMF report is most revealing. It shows how much more still needs to be done concerning market opening is concerned. A topic AC and other have consistently been pushing. DR simply has a long way to go to adopt best practices regarding a wide-range of issues. From the institutional weakness of many crucial pillars of the society like the Supreme Court and on down.
This failure of institutions did not begin with LF but he and his people need to use these scandals to help him address the matters. Throwing under the bus a few guys may help establish a better playing field. look at Brazil's current President and how she has pushed aside many corrupt members of her own party and Lula's administration. All parties have corrupt members, true leadership also commands acknowledging when to throw overboard deadwood.
If the allegations are true, then swift action is required.
From: United States
So, the British ambassador make a denounce of lack of security.
I am pretty sure that he denounce U.K. Biwater for no paying the contract , take this case to the English court as well , so they can pay the poor Dominicans as they were supposed to.. right..?...
Some people still think that we are Indians...
Written by: Atabey, 26 Nov 2011 3:07 PM
From: United States, NYC
www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2011/whd/eng/pdf/wreo1011.pdf
Beginning with " 2.5. Fiscal Consolidation Challenges in Tourism-Intensive Economies" page 34, we have a good review of matters regarding the region and our country's positioning.
Box 2.2. Latin America: Fiscal Adjustment with Social Cohesion offers us a good comparative basis to see how we rank among our regional competitors. Again, see how rather puny our state's contributions are, something like 15%. When 20-25% would be a far better investment scheme.
pp 70-72 statistical profile of the DR and the rest of the countries.
A revealing stat has DR with a low ranking in Trade Openness as a % of GDP at 67. Several countries are way above that mark, with some at 120! So DR has a long way to go in opening itself to boarder international trade.
The lack of institutional strength has vast detrimental effects for DR's modernization and LF and all others should be convinced that this needs attention.
From: Dominican Republic
Were these contracts awarded to the British company via public bidding?
From: Dominican Republic
duplicate
Written by: danny00, 26 Nov 2011 4:11 PM
From: United States, syosset, key west, santo domingo AND NOW THE GLOBE TROTTER
it left the country in 2010 alleging that the dominican government reneged paying us$5 million on concluded work and from a lack of legal security
as i have wrote many times though the years.
they will take your f........... eyes balls from their sockets.
one needs to be a fool to invest any money at this time in this country.
as i always say "no one is going to help u if u get into trouble in this wild west days country"
just look around open your eyes forget about the high smiles and welcome my friend, their plan from day one is to get your money and in the course one can end dead.
Written by: danny00, 26 Nov 2011 4:15 PM
From: United States, syosset, key west, santo domingo AND NOW THE GLOBE TROTTER
hey! they found a man from germany last year dead in the pop airport.
hey! where are the police? did they catch the people that caused this killing?
his body was found behind one airline counter it was laying their for over 2 weeks.
27 tourists and gringos have been killed in the past 2 years in the pop area alone.
many in santo domingo and other parts of the country. many low-lifes on this site say it can happen anywhere. really! one goes on vacation and ends up dead. small country the dr so many dead.
Written by: RoyStone, 26 Nov 2011 4:28 PM
From: Australia
Does anyone here know for sure why Biwater didn't pay up?
After being ordered to do so, they appealed to a higher court, so presumably they had legal advise that their case had merit.
Written by: kennyB, 26 Nov 2011 4:31 PM
From: United States
El Haitíano envidioso Danny00 es maniacodepresivo!
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 4:36 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Meanwhile will the loan officer for the International Spanish Drug Lord (Arturo Del Tiempo Marquez), Lie-onel Fernandez and his Narco-Mafia act indignant because they were told the truth to their face:
Here is how the treat the Pantheon of our founding fathers:
"Dirt insults solemnity of the Altar of the Fatherland"
SANTO DOMINGO - Two broken doors, stained walls and floors, several leaks and two fountains filled with garbage and polluted water which are part of the Altar of the Fatherland, the resting place of the founding fathers of the nation, highly visited by students, tourists, citizens and politicians.
Also water located in the fountain that surrounds the final resting place for Juan Pablo Duarte, Matias RamónMella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, is distinguished from afar by the green color of its waters and a lot of trash.
continued:
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 4:37 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Written by: kennyB, 26 Nov 2011 4:46 PM
From: United States
Otro loco maniacodepresivo!
Written by: antonio1, 26 Nov 2011 5:13 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Av Santa Rosa, La Romana
Mr. Ambassador,
are the Germans, Italians, Spaniards, and Brazilians companies better at doing business in DR then the Uk's companies, and that’s the reason they fail to obtain contract?...why during you tenure, companies from your country have fail to obtain contracts in DR?......in the private sector you will have been fire for ineptness you know.
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 5:17 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
"Otro loco maniacodepresivo!"
¡Excelente descripción y calificativo de Lie-onel Fernández!
Written by: generoso, 26 Nov 2011 5:20 PM
From: United States, Quisqueya
antonio1
It all has to do with the US laws regarding kickbacks and commissions. The Biwater Ltd contract was financed by the USExim bank, and they do not allow paybacks and commissions that the other European nations perform, as a way to do their daily business.
The Biwater Ltd. suit and the DR supreme court ruling follows and is a must read:
http://www.suprema.gov.do/PDF_2/fallos/Biwater_Vs_Fulgencio_Abreu.pdfTo my surprise the guy suing was none other than the front man trying to get his bakshish, this whole matter will get pretty stinky real soon.
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 5:34 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Professor,
Thank you for the info.
As I stayed before, be careful what you ask for.
This may turn into the proverbial can of worms for the “modern globalist”!
Written by: kennyB, 26 Nov 2011 5:54 PM
From: United States
Josean,
Despite being a one trick pony, you perform that trick well. Hope your PRD salary is good.
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 6:19 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
"Josean,
Despite being a one trick pony, you perform that trick well. Hope your PRD salary is good."
Professor as you would say:
"Typical Stalinist technique of discrediting the contrarians!"
Written by: generoso, 26 Nov 2011 6:31 PM
From: United States, Quisqueya
josean
The sender does not specify clearly who the PRD is, for all I know could be the Preventive Research & Development ONG. lol.
Written by: kennyB, 26 Nov 2011 6:55 PM
From: United States
Written by: generoso,
"The sender does not specify clearly who the PRD is, for all I know could be the Preventive Research & Development ONG."
It's refreshing to see some guys still have a sense of humor.LOL.
Written by: RoyStone, 26 Nov 2011 7:00 PM
From: Australia
josean,
You are critical of Leo (and I'm not defending him). However I have to ask, would Hipo and his opposition party be any better? As I see it, the next election will be a matter of choosing which is the less of two evils.
Written by: generoso, 26 Nov 2011 7:28 PM
From: United States, Quisqueya
Roy
Hipoloco was a lot worse than the PLD, and we are still paying for his mistakes. There is no choice better than the other, at least the PLD high brass only let their higher ups steal all they can, during Hipoloco everybody from the garbage collectors on up, demanded baksheesh.
I will quote Shakespeare: "The miserable have no other medicine but only hope". (Measure for measure).
If the DR voters voted for a third party candidate, their vote would be lost, as the system is structured for a majority vote, and that would be the PLD or the PRD. We can only deposit a dissenting vote and hope for a better outcome.
Even the devil would be better than Hipoloco, as a popular radio station had sample elections once, and when Hipoloco lost, running against the devil, Hipo jailed the radio hosts.
Written by: Atabey, 26 Nov 2011 7:39 PM
From: United States, NYC
So true Generoso. The question before the DR voter is not between angels but bloodied characters with warts and all. Of the two, Hippo has far more and would thus make a worse choice overall.
The DR still has a long ways to go before it leaves the primitive state of affairs that the Post-Trujillo legacy bequeathed the State and Nation. It's been a slow haul but hopefully we'll leave behind these tendencies and poor practices before too long a time.
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 7:46 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Unfortunately Roy the policies and practices of Lie-onel Fernandez and his Narco-Mafia is what has made Mejia marketable again. If he wins it is not because he his good it is that Lie-onel is So Bad.
Here on DT you get a distorted view of the reality on the Dominican street because of the paid government rationalizers who spin everything; in the recent past they were out right bold supporters but now they take a third person shadowy approach. If you read Spanish, I suggest you read the Dominican press especially the commentaries which are even more brutal than anything you read here on DT.
Now granted they also could be skewed so I don’t take them as the only method of gauging public opinion. However, I do combine that with my personal experience on the Dominican street, bars, cafes, restaurants, barbershops, auto repair in other words the real world and the anti-government sentiment is running about 60/40.
Continued:
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 7:52 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
I travel to DR about every 60 to 70 days more or less for 14 days at time so I think I get a very good picture what’s happing on the ground. I travel the entire country on many trips and the anti-Lie-onel/ PLD and anything associated with them is real. So at this time it is “an anybody but the PLD mood” although in politics nothing is certain. Case in point is Mejia, many considered him a political cadaver and like Lazarus his has risen from the dead thanks to Lie-onel. However, at this moment in time it looks real bad for the purple menace.
PS
For the record Roy, and the Professor will vouch for me, I endorsed Guillermo Moreno for 2012 over a year ago and I stand by my humble decision.
Written by: antonio1, 26 Nov 2011 7:57 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Av Santa Rosa, La Romana
Generoso,
kickbacks are illegal here in DR and in your country....the facts of the matter is that this individual is a low life that was giving and embasadoship here in my country and made some accusation that are disrepeful to the country,,,,,that the hold meollo of the story......up to the distrator to massage the message, but we..have it very clear.........Llego Papa
Written by: Atabey, 26 Nov 2011 8:04 PM
From: United States, NYC
Well Josean, I too would be smitten with a Guillermo Moreno ticket, but I say and perhaps Generoso will agree with me: that a vote for Moreno may produce the repeat Horror known as El Hippo II. And boy is that not what DR needs at this moment. For all the real failures that the PLD have committed, AND THEY HAVE- these pale before those of the Hippo I. A Bad and worse choice perhaps, so go with the less bad choice.
Life is a beach.
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 8:05 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Roy,
Here is an example of a once bold supporter that now is a closet “Lie-onelita!"
"So true Generoso. The question before the DR voter is not between angels but bloodied characters with warts and all. Of the two, Hippo has far more and would thus make a worse choice overall."
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 8:06 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Who the hell is Guillermo Morales?
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 8:10 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
" For all the real failures that the PLD have committed, AND THEY HAVE- these pale before those of the Hippo I."
Unfortunately the professional polls and the "street polls" don't seem to agree with you.
Just ask antonio1.
Written by: antonio1, 26 Nov 2011 8:14 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Av Santa Rosa, La Romana
Has any other envoy made similar accusation.....i don't recall….but, I could be wrong…by the way the Brazilian Obredetch a well known construction enterprise is doing quite well.
From: Dominican Republic, vieja Santo Domingo
most of the records are available about Biwater who withdrew from the DR because they had no more contracts ...it seems that the Dominican Government may have been slow in making their final payment but that did not worry Biwater because they owed money to their suncontactors the main one being Abreu,
When the san Cristobel project was completed , Biwater was awarded the contrat in San Francisco de macoris and after that they bid for, won and then completed a water supply scheme in nagua ,They also entered into a contract to build water lines in the la Romana area.
It seems very strange to me that having worked here and continuously bid for work , they can say they are pulling out because of some bribe allegation.
No I think the problem is that they lost out in the court three times to Dominican subcontractors , maybe the DR government was slow to pay them out ...and as they had no more contrats they decided to pull out ...this is from reading their reports and the from the papers.
Written by: RoyStone, 26 Nov 2011 8:24 PM
From: Australia
I thought Leo was not a candidate.
Written by: antonio1, 26 Nov 2011 8:34 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Av Santa Rosa, La Romana
Ric,
That is if Biwater is the culprit….I believe theirs more to the story and the two governments are talking behind close doors to save face (the UK inept)
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 8:35 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Roy,
He is not, but he is a de facto caudillo, the boss of boss, de Capo deTutti Capi; in the party no one can even think of taking piss without his approval. Danilo was allowed to have the nomination because Lie-onel is constitutionally prohibited from presenting a candidacy for re-election although he tried to get his wife selected.
That maneuver “failed” but he did impose her as Mr. Medina’s running mate.
Written by: antonio1, 26 Nov 2011 8:44 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Av Santa Rosa, La Romana
Ric,
Papa is strong here in la Romana, but that is a topic that I rather discuss later…………hopefully keep debating the issue at hand…
Written by: generoso, 26 Nov 2011 8:50 PM
From: United States, Quisqueya
Ricardolito
Seems like you didn't bother to read the previous comments before you rushed to put your "two cents" in. All I can say is wrong, wrong, and wrong. No wonder josean has an affinity to brand you "Martha", I wonder why,lol.
Before you write all this unfiltered garbage, and be a minus magnet, try to educate yourself at the very least, by reading the previous comments.
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 9:02 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Professor,
I am honored that you remember "Martha" my term of endearment for the "Purple Spin Master” par excellence.
Written by: generoso, 26 Nov 2011 9:10 PM
From: United States, Quisqueya
josean
Why "Martha"? curious minds want to know.
Written by: Atabey, 26 Nov 2011 9:17 PM
From: United States, NYC
The Hippo may win again, but in large measure due to the primitiveness of the voting public. Mass democracy has this peril, much discussed by the founders of the US republic, Madison and Hamilton. I think Madison Federalist # 10 is one of the key documents that go into the difficulties of restraining the popular passions within a democracy.
"He saw direct democracy as a danger to individual rights and advocated a representative democracy in order to protect what he viewed as individual liberty from majority rule, or from the effects of such inequality within society. He says, "A pure democracy can admit no cure for the mischiefs of faction. A common passion or interest will be felt by a majority, and there is nothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party. Hence it is, that democracies have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths."
Written by: Atabey, 26 Nov 2011 9:18 PM
From: United States, NYC
Hippo Man is a master at stirring up the passions of the Dominican poor and will no doubt try and do as he did before and use every trick to win a new term in office. Remember that ploy he tried to make concerning farmers debt? He told them to not pay their debts? Old fashion populist hog-wash that plays great with the idiot crowd while its powers move the votes. Hopefully his ploys will not sway too many. Hippo II will be a disaster for the republic.
Written by: generoso, 26 Nov 2011 9:29 PM
From: United States, Quisqueya
It is a matter of principle, I could not vote for either one, as the two have proven unworthy of managing the affairs of the DR state.
I would prefer a vote for none of the above.
When you sell out your principles, due to temporary convenience or "sustaining governability", you are selling out your soul to the devil. Chuck them both, they are both useless, corrupt and inept individuals. What we need in DR and the rest of the world is real change, not selling out because it is convenient. The rest can vote for either one, but I have to sleep well and hope that one day our populist non functioning system of electing leaders, is trashed, and the most capable are hired to run the monopolies of government.
Written by: Atabey, 26 Nov 2011 9:35 PM
From: United States, NYC
Back to square one? A Plato's republic, Philosopher Kings, Socialism, populist schemes of one kind or another, etc. And all the blood to flow in sewing anew a governing consensus!
"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. " Jefferson
Words to consider.
The bath water may indeed be soiled, but should we dump the baby, too?
There is still hope that the republic will find capable people to handle the process of de-Trujillismo/Balaguerismo/PRDismo and PLDismo. Perhaps too slow for many but who ever said political life and theater were simple? Politics with Punctuated equilibrium. Let's hope that the PLD candidate Danilo proves like the leader of Brazil, willing to take on the fat cats of Lula.
From: Dominican Republic, vieja Santo Domingo
my comments are as equally correct ,right right and right as yours generoso and in fact differ very little .I am quite aware it is nigh impossible for a foreign company to win in court against a dominican company and I am quite aware that the Government can withhold paymente for any number of reasons .you may care to read the Biwater reports for the past few years .
We will wait and see if there is any proof that Biwater left for reasons of bribery ,,,,they have never even mentioned it in any report or press release ,,,,,,and they have up and left from other countries before .
so before you start your unspecified attacks ,,just reassess your own comments that have a habit of being PROVEN incorrect
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 9:44 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Professor,
It’s actually quite simple and really anticlimactic; when our friend appeared on the scene to shill for Lie-onel, he when into a panty twisting rant about my manners. He actually complained to the DT staff in attempted to get me banned.
Note:
Those were the day of hot exchanges among many of the original posters dread, gouletcolonial, myself and others. We hit hard and got hit hard but we respected each other’s opinions and in fact some of the ideological opposites were actual good friends. Apparently the government or their supporters were monitoring the posting and since they were taking a beating the “assigned” certain individuals from the “my country right or wrong” camp to come and Pollyanna, distort and obfuscate the Dominican reality. Their effort was to take the heat off the government and give a distorted view to the non-Dominicans that visited the site that new coming of Christ, Lie-onel, was creating a METROLANDIA-Shangri-La in DR.
Continued:
Written by: josean, 26 Nov 2011 9:46 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
So when the friend in question began to protest about my “manners” I baptized him “Martha Stewart” in honor of the American queen of manners. Then I just shortened it to Martha.
Written by: antonio1, 26 Nov 2011 9:56 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Av Santa Rosa, La Romana
Ric/
Pa buen entendedor pocas palabras bastan........your assesment is on the money........a least for for the thinker amongst us////
Written by: antonio1, 26 Nov 2011 10:02 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Av Santa Rosa, La Romana
Ric,
is the guardian or the telegraph carrying-out this lack of judment?
Written by: generoso, 26 Nov 2011 10:50 PM
From: United States, Quisqueya
Ricardolito
The problem is that frequently you speculate without doing your homework first, just because you are mostly white and have tested the business waters in DR, does not make you an expert in DR, or in doing business in DR either. Your pretentious affirmations are mostly speculative, coming from a very narrow point of view. On top of that you are stubborn to the ninth degree.
You have still not read all the comments, otherwise you will have known that the individual suing Biwater was an intermediary who did not provide any construction work, and was simply trying to railroad Biwater for more commissions or kickbacks that they had agreed to and finally negotiated, and were willing or legally able to pay, according to USEXIM bank and federal regulations.
Now I may be wrong in my assumptions after reading the transcript of the DR supreme court decision, but here is the site and you may correct me later:
http://www.suprema.gov.do/PDF_2/fallos/Biwater_Vs_Fulgencio_Abreu.pdfFrom: United States
If the Government can't control corruption it will ony make things harder for the people and slow down the progress of the Country. Sad
Written by: josean, 27 Nov 2011 12:32 AM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Written by: antonio1, 27 Nov 2011 5:00 AM
From: Dominican Republic, Av Santa Rosa, La Romana
From: Dominican Republic, vieja Santo Domingo
Well I suppose we will just have to wait and see if there is an end to this storm in a teacup....my view is that the story will just disappear ,,as usual no one will be proved right or wrong and we will be all left wondering .
Written by: RoyStone, 27 Nov 2011 8:34 AM
From: Australia
Ricardolito, I hope you are proven wrong but I suspect you are right.
Written by: anthonyC, 27 Nov 2011 9:10 AM
From: United States
I find it symptomatic of the problems in the D.R. that my post where I detail my experience with corruption as the reason I closed up shop down there was deleted.
Silence or discredit the messenger instead of confronting the real problem
Written by: josean, 27 Nov 2011 10:21 AM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
In a country:
Where the president, Lie-onel Fernandez for almost 8 years has violated the constitutionally protected right that 4% of GDP be dedicated to the education of the Dominican children;
Where the president borrows $130,000,000 million dollars without the approval of congress and the money disappears;
Where the president is photographed at the national palace with and international drug dealer to whom he loaned $36,000,000 million dollars;
Where in open court it is revealed that the president authorized his right hand man Felix Bautista to do business with the right hand woman of the Puerto Rican Drug lord José Figueroa Agosto;
Where the president’s chief of police “buys” two apartments valued at over a million dollars each in the Narco Tower Atiemar;
continued:
Written by: josean, 27 Nov 2011 10:23 AM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Where the Senate President and General Secretary of the PLD, Reynaldo Pared Perez, “buys” a million dollar apt from known drug dealers fronting as legitimate construction businessmen;
What else can you called it but a Failed Narco State.
This "government" and its "leaders" have NO moral standing of any kind to get indignant about anything!
Written by: anthonyC, 27 Nov 2011 10:54 AM
From: United States
Josean,
Don't forget the BILLIONS, yes Billions that have been stolen by the P.R.D. since the 1970's
Written by: josean, 27 Nov 2011 11:09 AM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Written by: josean, 27 Nov 2011 11:53 AM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Here is another feather for Lie-onel Fernandez's Neoliberal cap:
"The FAI said that poverty risks el social explosion"
"Commenting on the development report submitted by the United Nations program for development (UNDP), whereby the Dominican Republic dropped nine positions in the indicator of equality, the FAI, claims that these conditions of inequality are which promote violence, crime and the feminicide."
This Sunday the Federation of industrial associations (FAI) warned that progressive social inequality, product of the bad distribution of income, turns the country into a time bomb and risks it governability.
"A society like ours, so uneven and with so many lags in education and health, constitutes a time bomb like the ones that have sparked major social movements at the international level that have put an end to governments and have changed their political course", said the organization headed by Ignacio Méndez.
continued:
Written by: josean, 27 Nov 2011 11:54 AM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Written by: kennyB, 27 Nov 2011 12:00 PM
From: United States
Diablo! Un loco de remate!LOL!
Written by: josean, 27 Nov 2011 12:11 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
¡De acuerdo!
¡Gastar miles de millones de dólares en un METRO para pasear moscas, cuando no hay educación, luz, agua potable, medicina y seguridad contra el crimen, demuestra que Lie-onel Fernández y los que lo apoyan están locos de remate!
Written by: RoyStone, 27 Nov 2011 3:27 PM
From: Australia
josean,
From what you are telling us, this is not a "failed narco-state" -
it is a highly successful one!
(to bad about the people)
Written by: josean, 27 Nov 2011 5:10 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Roy,
From that perspective you are absolutely right.
Lie-onel Fernandez and his purple gang have converted the economy of this country into one of the biggest Laundromats for the washing of international dirty money of all origins. The country was so overwhelmed with this money, that when the world economic crisis began the effects were not immediately felt locally. However, after two of his associates were caught, José Figueroa Agosto and Arturo Del Tiempo Marquez things got a bit tight so the borrowing to shore up the economy accelerated.
It its always amazing to me that people don’t realize that one of the reasons (if not THE reason) real-estate prizes and the cost of autos are so inflated beyond their real reasonable value, is due to excessive laundering of money through the “legit” economy.
continued:
Written by: josean, 27 Nov 2011 5:13 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Although, his apologist and lackeys will argue to their last breath (or government check, whichever comes first) that it is due to the brilliancy of his majesty and the “Macro-Economic Miracle” he has “created.” I don’t subscribe to supply side trickle-down economics, but even under that scheme when legitimately applied some minor benefits are felt by the public at large. However, when the real basis of the “development” is dirty money it doesn’t trickle down, much less circulate among the broader society.
That is why although the economy shows empirical “growth” poverty and inequality of resource distribution has also grown.
But let me stop there as I barely got a C- in economics 101 and this is really Dreads turf.
From: Dominican Republic, Civil Rights and Peace Activist for Our Dominican People
I said it few years ago when the British starting eyeing DR and coming here to bring trades and "gives us" treats and gifts.
The Bristish are the worst thieves and pirates ever!!!
They pray on people or countries they believes are corrupt or thieves, quietly and smoothly scheme and rob them, so at the end they stole from the "bad guys" so the brits end up looking good, huh!,
You might call this the Peter pan-pirate complex , mastered through out centuries.
Written by: yumnuk3, 27 Nov 2011 5:48 PM
From: United States, ø„¸¨°º¤ø„¸¸„ø¤º°¨¸„ø¤º°¨
Poponlaburra, well said!
Written by: yumnuk3, 27 Nov 2011 5:55 PM
From: United States, ø„¸¨°º¤ø„¸¸„ø¤º°¨¸„ø¤º°¨
RoyStone,
Calling for “the truth” and “nothing but the truth” is reasonable. You want to have a poster with an unbiased eye for the truth. You don't want have a poster or a media outlet who will not be feeding you a pack of half-truths. The detail of “the whole truth” takes a bit more thought. The idea here is to make sure people do not leave out significant details in their story.
As the old saying goes, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes”
Mark Twain
From: Dominican Republic
Josean is this the gentelman you are refering too?
"With corrupt governments we will not change", says Guillermo Moreno
"He stated that the Government of Leonel Fernández has based his legacy on building works such as subway and over passes by that offer great opportunities for corruption for the corporate group that governs but not with the intention of solving the problems for the overwhelming majority of the country."
"The three traditional parties are responsible for all the problems we have in health, education, safety, production and others, they have the cause of the great evils that we have today day and that they present their two candidates as the solution to solve them, thinking we are fools", he said.
http://www.acento.com.do/index.ph....os-advierte-Guillermo-Moreno.htmlWritten by: josean, 27 Nov 2011 6:34 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Yes sir, that's him.
Written by: RoyStone, 27 Nov 2011 8:55 PM
From: Australia
poponlaburra,
if the British colonists were the biggest thieves, how come most former British colonies are faring much better than most of the others? Perhaps your logic has been overwhelmed by your Angliphobia?
From: Dominican Republic
Guys anything new on the ambassador's situation?
Written by: anthonyC, 28 Nov 2011 9:05 AM
From: United States
MOLONDRON,
What Situation? The UK Ambassador is doing just fine. The "Situation" is massive, institutionalized Corruption in the D.R.
From: United States
Ambassador Fisher, name names. Bring this to the World court.
The Dominican extortion group have to be brought into the light. They have stifled this country for decades now with impunity. It is time to end this farce.
I am appalled that the US hasn't done something. US citizens have been murder and NOTHING is done. I can only assume Ms Clinton has been paid off with a home in Punta Cana and hot and cold running sankies.
Written by: RoyStone, 28 Nov 2011 10:01 AM
From: Australia
gmiller261,
Are you insinuating that Hilary would cheat on her faithful husband?
From: Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata
A nice result would be a massive halt in foreign investment, and a shutdown of the money taps fron all the do-gooders organizations.
Then maybe the politikeros would begin a reflection.
From: United States
RoyStone you insult the moral obligation of being a husband when you refer to that scum as a husband.
If he or she were half a man they would have divorced. But politics in the US has turned into a sick joke, with several poster boys.
The Senate should be disbanded and the congress fired. Together they couldn’t represent the US people only their special interest groups and being able to buy and sell stocks with non-public knowledge
From: Dominican Republic
Wow, you guys gone deep on this one...
Sure would like to hear some possible solutions than all the analysis of current and past conditions.......
From: Dominican Republic, Civil Rights and Peace Activist for Our Dominican People
Thank you yumnuk3,
You see, this is CLASSICAL BLACKMAILING!! I knew the thieves pirates were going to pull something like this, is just a prelude to what they are really after.
For now they are just trying to pull the embarrassment card and intimidation, so that when "the thieve pirates" start demanding what they are really after, our politicians and people feel ashamed and will not oppose to their demands.
We all know what they are after.
Written by: tomito, 28 Nov 2011 9:19 PM
From: United States
This should not be a surprise to anyone including the Brits, they know that when a latin american country calls for tenders on a project, bribes are normally included and/or expected. This is Latin America 101, so to the UK ambassador, please stop whining and pretending nobody knew about this, maybe DR congress thieves need to legalize bribes for government projects just as the US makes insider trading legal for members of Congress and illegal to anyone else.
Written by: tomito, 28 Nov 2011 9:19 PM
From: United States
This should not be a surprise to anyone including the Brits, they know that when a latin american country calls for tenders on a project, bribes are normally included and/or expected. This is Latin America 101, so to the UK ambassador, please stop whining and pretending nobody knew about this, maybe DR congress thieves need to legalize bribes for government projects just as the US makes insider trading legal for members of Congress.
Written by: RoyStone, 28 Nov 2011 9:36 PM
From: Australia
tomito,
Not all of Latin America is corrupt, and those places that have cleaned up their act will reap the rewards, to the determent of this failed state.
Written by: tomito, 28 Nov 2011 10:35 PM
From: United States
Roy, Direct Foreign Investment grows consistently in DR and some Latin American countries, remember that while corruption may spook some companies, it also fastracks other business opportunities, you just have to know how to play the game to your advantage.
"Not all Latin America is corrupt", in this case you may be able to name the exception, not the rule, now I really doubt you won't be able to navigate your way around any Latin American country if you contact/bribe the right people, and yes, including Chile from personal experience. This "failed" state has been...well, failing since it was created, yet it still attracts billions of dollars every year and millions of visitors.
For all that think corruption is going to end in Latin America and the world for that matter, keep day dreaming or waste your time "Occupying DT", the more saavy ones will laugh all the way to the bank.
Written by: generoso, 30 Nov 2011 2:38 PM
From: United States, Quisqueya
.
Written by: Atabey, 1 Dec 2011 12:53 PM
From: United States, NYC
http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/1424882Read the above article by two important scholars .
Several paragraphs stand out for us Dominicans:
"Why has so little progress been made in improving developing countries' public sectors? The first problem is that their bureaucracies often serve governments that are rent-seeking coalitions acting according to self-interest,[PRD, PLD in the case of DR] instead of an ideal of impersonal public service. Outside donors typically do not have the leverage to force them to change, with the partial exception of mechanisms such as the European Union's accession process. Second, effective institutions have to evolve indigenously, reflecting a country's own political, social, and cultural realities."
But there are many more interesting notes in the article. There is also another article written by MOISÉS NAÍM "La desigualdad tóxica"
http://internacional.elpais.com/i....actualidad/1322343791_958571.html Written by: Atabey, 3 Dec 2011 10:25 PM
From: United States, NYC
“It is clear that there is systemic complacency about corruption in the UK, even if the problem is not endemic. The Government needs the courage to admit that many checks and balances have failed,” he added. “Instead of a proliferation of inquiries we need urgent action to put in place policies that will prevent such a crisis from happening again and restore public trust in our key institutions.
“The UK is complacent about corruption. This has allowed a culture of impunity to develop, in which corruption is not seriously analysed or investigated, and individuals have behaved unethically in the belief that they would not or should not be held to account.”
The report revealed that despite the continued lack of transparency within Britain, the UK Bribery Act has marginally improved the nation’s international rating.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/the-world-s-most-corrupt-countries.html
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British Official Organizations, Political Parties and Companies
Lord Taylor guilty of making false expenses claims
Ex-Tory peer Lord Taylor of Warwick has been found guilty of making £11,277 in false parliamentary expenses claims. BBC, 25 January 2011.
Labour steps up pressure on Tories in Sheffield Forgemasters sleaze row
Andrew Cook, a millionaire Tory donor, who successfully lobbied for the cancellation of a government loan to a promising engineering company, admitted he had wanted to invest in it himself. Guardian, 22 July 2010.
'Grubby' Alex Salmond admits selling more lunches
Alex Salmond has been accused of “grubby behaviour” after he and his deputy admitted auctioning six events at the Scottish Parliament to raise money for the SNP. Daily Telegraph, 7 February 2010.
So typical of the attitude of those in the D.R. When confronted with their own shortcomings/corruption/sins they have to accuse others of even worse.
So sad.
I very much doubt if companies will be pulling out of the United Kingdom over a parliamentarian making £11,277 in false parliamentary expenses. This is absolute chicken-feed compared to Dominican corruption which is crippling the country. Also when uncovered in the UK, there is outrage in parliament. In the Dominican Republic, corruption and graft is considered a justified perk of the job.
Failed state.
Now don't anyone tell me that Biwater did not encounter similar situations in the other 50 countries it operates but for some reason Fisher felt compeled to denounce it. If an entrepreneurial venture is not or longer profitable, the best option to take for any business is walk away, that is exactly what they did. But to claim they left the DR due to corruption is BS
2) Tourists should not holiday in this country unless they are prepared to be robbed.
3) Motorists should not park in this country unless they are prepared to lose there hubcaps and mirrors.
Failed state
This is sad for the DR. Foreign investment can bring jobs, which provide living wages, to the country.
UK ambassador Fisher denounced "several companies" not just Biwater Ltd. who is a credible and globally known company. Curious minds want to know the names of all the other companies. Many USA companies also complained of the same "toll gating" by high unnamed Dominican officials, in the Wiki leaks cables, so these news shouldn't surprise anyone.
Regarding the judgement that went all the way to the supreme court, that condoned Biwater Ltd. and was awarded to a Dominican sub-contractor of almost US$10 million in damages. We have to hear from the sub-contractor his side of the story as well.
There is an interesting photo of Leonel Fernandez in the completion of a Biwater project:
http://farrerconsulting.com/image....3-3373-40f8-b8df-7ef60d94d182.jpg
"NOT EVEN FOREIGN INVESTORS ARE SAVE
The English Ambassador in the Dominican Republic reported that a company of Great Britain left the country because of government corruption and the lack of legal certainty. He also said that other British investors have been victims of bribery and have withdrawn their projects. This is abhorrent and shows where this government is rotten to the bone.
THEY ARE OFFENDED BUT DO NOT INVESTIGATE WHAT IS A LIVE WIKILEAKS
Meanwhile the spokesmen of the government rather than investigate these serious accusations act offended and classify the ambassador’s comments as reckless, when a few months ago Wikileaks cables also revealed the same practices of bribery with American companies."
http://www.acento.com.do/index.ph....s-se-salvan-de-la-corrupcion.html
Typical Stalinist technique of discrediting the contrarians. It works like this:
An adverse propaganda campaign begins accusing the accusers of even worst felonies and acts of improprieties, and character assassination to totally discredit and bring doubt into the accusers personal lives and reputation.
As an example already the UK ambassador is already being accused of being an outcast, a non conformist, someone who does not follow strict protocol, who is not diplomatic, et all. Next accusations will follow on Biwater Ltd., violations of the contract, faulty design, not adherence to specifications, and in some cases could get even worse and more personal, such as hiring illegal aliens, using child labor, sexual molestation of minors, illegal transfers of funds, non payment of labor taxes for workers, and many other concoctions of sick and corrupt minds, that will do anything to justify their abuse of power.
So if I understand it correctly our corrupt government delays its payments;
This causes the British company to delay its payments to the subcontractors;
The subcontractor takes its case to our corrupt courts and "wins" a judgment:
The British company loses the appeal and the Supreme Corrupt Court rules against them and in favor of the purple homeboys, who are most likely a front for the higher echelons of the national palace, another form of “legal extortion.”
This is the same Supreme Corrupt Court that refused to hear the Sun-Land Case, which involved an illegal loan that Lie-onel Fernandez and his homeboy "senator" Felix Bautista made without the approval of congress for $130,000,000 million dollars which have disappeared like Jimmy Hoffa.
This looks like the British company had as much chance as snowball in hell to get fair redress of their grievances in any Dominican venue.
Continued:
The corrupt gangs in the government and courts appear to have, pardon the pun, Ganged up on them.
This is so outrageous that no wonder the ambassador had to speak out publicly, if he had done this through the normal diplomatic channels it would have been filed in the circular file as almost 100% of complaints are adjudicate in the country.
Ambassdor Fisher you did the right thing maybe the rest of the dipolmates in DR will grow a pair and speak up as well!
Absolutely correct, and I am not only speaking from public information sources, but from personal experience in these matters.
The justice system in DR is corrupt to the core, and is putrified and nauseous, the judges, lawyers and justice system only exists in theory and are open to anyone with a fat wallet and contacts.
If you are a foreign businessman or are running a successful company, you can be targeted by corrupt individuals, in cahoots with corrupt to the core DA's out to sequester and even jail honest businessmen, until ransom monies are paid, to the government appointed legal gangsters.
I am assuming payment to Biwater Ltd. by INAPA was purposely delayed, distracted, or used for political purposes, since financing had been in place and approved by USExim Bank, and in turn this caused the sub contractor to sue Biwater Ltd. for non payment.
Failed state!
No need - the electricity's already been cut off.
This failure of institutions did not begin with LF but he and his people need to use these scandals to help him address the matters. Throwing under the bus a few guys may help establish a better playing field. look at Brazil's current President and how she has pushed aside many corrupt members of her own party and Lula's administration. All parties have corrupt members, true leadership also commands acknowledging when to throw overboard deadwood.
If the allegations are true, then swift action is required.
I am pretty sure that he denounce U.K. Biwater for no paying the contract , take this case to the English court as well , so they can pay the poor Dominicans as they were supposed to.. right..?...
Some people still think that we are Indians...
Beginning with " 2.5. Fiscal Consolidation Challenges in Tourism-Intensive Economies" page 34, we have a good review of matters regarding the region and our country's positioning.
Box 2.2. Latin America: Fiscal Adjustment with Social Cohesion offers us a good comparative basis to see how we rank among our regional competitors. Again, see how rather puny our state's contributions are, something like 15%. When 20-25% would be a far better investment scheme.
pp 70-72 statistical profile of the DR and the rest of the countries.
A revealing stat has DR with a low ranking in Trade Openness as a % of GDP at 67. Several countries are way above that mark, with some at 120! So DR has a long way to go in opening itself to boarder international trade.
The lack of institutional strength has vast detrimental effects for DR's modernization and LF and all others should be convinced that this needs attention.
Were these contracts awarded to the British company via public bidding?
as i have wrote many times though the years.
they will take your f........... eyes balls from their sockets.
one needs to be a fool to invest any money at this time in this country.
as i always say "no one is going to help u if u get into trouble in this wild west days country"
just look around open your eyes forget about the high smiles and welcome my friend, their plan from day one is to get your money and in the course one can end dead.
hey! where are the police? did they catch the people that caused this killing?
his body was found behind one airline counter it was laying their for over 2 weeks.
27 tourists and gringos have been killed in the past 2 years in the pop area alone.
many in santo domingo and other parts of the country. many low-lifes on this site say it can happen anywhere. really! one goes on vacation and ends up dead. small country the dr so many dead.
After being ordered to do so, they appealed to a higher court, so presumably they had legal advise that their case had merit.
El Haitíano envidioso Danny00 es maniacodepresivo!
Meanwhile will the loan officer for the International Spanish Drug Lord (Arturo Del Tiempo Marquez), Lie-onel Fernandez and his Narco-Mafia act indignant because they were told the truth to their face:
Here is how the treat the Pantheon of our founding fathers:
"Dirt insults solemnity of the Altar of the Fatherland"
SANTO DOMINGO - Two broken doors, stained walls and floors, several leaks and two fountains filled with garbage and polluted water which are part of the Altar of the Fatherland, the resting place of the founding fathers of the nation, highly visited by students, tourists, citizens and politicians.
Also water located in the fountain that surrounds the final resting place for Juan Pablo Duarte, Matias RamónMella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, is distinguished from afar by the green color of its waters and a lot of trash.
continued:
So please Lie-onel Fernandez and you supporters spare me the moral indignation act, since you are the FIRST OFFENDERS of our dignity, morality and the symbols of our sovereignty.
You are a bunch of corrupt cowards who should be tried for treason!
http://www.diariolibre.com/notici...._altar-de-la-patria-mausoleo.html
Otro loco maniacodepresivo!
are the Germans, Italians, Spaniards, and Brazilians companies better at doing business in DR then the Uk's companies, and that’s the reason they fail to obtain contract?...why during you tenure, companies from your country have fail to obtain contracts in DR?......in the private sector you will have been fire for ineptness you know.
"Otro loco maniacodepresivo!"
¡Excelente descripción y calificativo de Lie-onel Fernández!
It all has to do with the US laws regarding kickbacks and commissions. The Biwater Ltd contract was financed by the USExim bank, and they do not allow paybacks and commissions that the other European nations perform, as a way to do their daily business.
The Biwater Ltd. suit and the DR supreme court ruling follows and is a must read:
http://www.suprema.gov.do/PDF_2/fallos/Biwater_Vs_Fulgencio_Abreu.pdf
To my surprise the guy suing was none other than the front man trying to get his bakshish, this whole matter will get pretty stinky real soon.
Professor,
Thank you for the info.
As I stayed before, be careful what you ask for.
This may turn into the proverbial can of worms for the “modern globalist”!
Josean,
Despite being a one trick pony, you perform that trick well. Hope your PRD salary is good.
"Josean,
Despite being a one trick pony, you perform that trick well. Hope your PRD salary is good."
Professor as you would say:
"Typical Stalinist technique of discrediting the contrarians!"
The sender does not specify clearly who the PRD is, for all I know could be the Preventive Research & Development ONG. lol.
Written by: generoso,
"The sender does not specify clearly who the PRD is, for all I know could be the Preventive Research & Development ONG."
It's refreshing to see some guys still have a sense of humor.LOL.
You are critical of Leo (and I'm not defending him). However I have to ask, would Hipo and his opposition party be any better? As I see it, the next election will be a matter of choosing which is the less of two evils.
Hipoloco was a lot worse than the PLD, and we are still paying for his mistakes. There is no choice better than the other, at least the PLD high brass only let their higher ups steal all they can, during Hipoloco everybody from the garbage collectors on up, demanded baksheesh.
I will quote Shakespeare: "The miserable have no other medicine but only hope". (Measure for measure).
If the DR voters voted for a third party candidate, their vote would be lost, as the system is structured for a majority vote, and that would be the PLD or the PRD. We can only deposit a dissenting vote and hope for a better outcome.
Even the devil would be better than Hipoloco, as a popular radio station had sample elections once, and when Hipoloco lost, running against the devil, Hipo jailed the radio hosts.
The DR still has a long ways to go before it leaves the primitive state of affairs that the Post-Trujillo legacy bequeathed the State and Nation. It's been a slow haul but hopefully we'll leave behind these tendencies and poor practices before too long a time.
Unfortunately Roy the policies and practices of Lie-onel Fernandez and his Narco-Mafia is what has made Mejia marketable again. If he wins it is not because he his good it is that Lie-onel is So Bad.
Here on DT you get a distorted view of the reality on the Dominican street because of the paid government rationalizers who spin everything; in the recent past they were out right bold supporters but now they take a third person shadowy approach. If you read Spanish, I suggest you read the Dominican press especially the commentaries which are even more brutal than anything you read here on DT.
Now granted they also could be skewed so I don’t take them as the only method of gauging public opinion. However, I do combine that with my personal experience on the Dominican street, bars, cafes, restaurants, barbershops, auto repair in other words the real world and the anti-government sentiment is running about 60/40.
Continued:
I travel to DR about every 60 to 70 days more or less for 14 days at time so I think I get a very good picture what’s happing on the ground. I travel the entire country on many trips and the anti-Lie-onel/ PLD and anything associated with them is real. So at this time it is “an anybody but the PLD mood” although in politics nothing is certain. Case in point is Mejia, many considered him a political cadaver and like Lazarus his has risen from the dead thanks to Lie-onel. However, at this moment in time it looks real bad for the purple menace.
PS
For the record Roy, and the Professor will vouch for me, I endorsed Guillermo Moreno for 2012 over a year ago and I stand by my humble decision.
kickbacks are illegal here in DR and in your country....the facts of the matter is that this individual is a low life that was giving and embasadoship here in my country and made some accusation that are disrepeful to the country,,,,,that the hold meollo of the story......up to the distrator to massage the message, but we..have it very clear.........Llego Papa
Life is a beach.
Roy,
Here is an example of a once bold supporter that now is a closet “Lie-onelita!"
"So true Generoso. The question before the DR voter is not between angels but bloodied characters with warts and all. Of the two, Hippo has far more and would thus make a worse choice overall."
Who the hell is Guillermo Morales?
" For all the real failures that the PLD have committed, AND THEY HAVE- these pale before those of the Hippo I."
Unfortunately the professional polls and the "street polls" don't seem to agree with you.
Just ask antonio1.
When the san Cristobel project was completed , Biwater was awarded the contrat in San Francisco de macoris and after that they bid for, won and then completed a water supply scheme in nagua ,They also entered into a contract to build water lines in the la Romana area.
It seems very strange to me that having worked here and continuously bid for work , they can say they are pulling out because of some bribe allegation.
No I think the problem is that they lost out in the court three times to Dominican subcontractors , maybe the DR government was slow to pay them out ...and as they had no more contrats they decided to pull out ...this is from reading their reports and the from the papers.
That is if Biwater is the culprit….I believe theirs more to the story and the two governments are talking behind close doors to save face (the UK inept)
He is not, but he is a de facto caudillo, the boss of boss, de Capo deTutti Capi; in the party no one can even think of taking piss without his approval. Danilo was allowed to have the nomination because Lie-onel is constitutionally prohibited from presenting a candidacy for re-election although he tried to get his wife selected.
That maneuver “failed” but he did impose her as Mr. Medina’s running mate.
Papa is strong here in la Romana, but that is a topic that I rather discuss later…………hopefully keep debating the issue at hand…
Seems like you didn't bother to read the previous comments before you rushed to put your "two cents" in. All I can say is wrong, wrong, and wrong. No wonder josean has an affinity to brand you "Martha", I wonder why,lol.
Before you write all this unfiltered garbage, and be a minus magnet, try to educate yourself at the very least, by reading the previous comments.
Professor,
I am honored that you remember "Martha" my term of endearment for the "Purple Spin Master” par excellence.
Why "Martha"? curious minds want to know.
"He saw direct democracy as a danger to individual rights and advocated a representative democracy in order to protect what he viewed as individual liberty from majority rule, or from the effects of such inequality within society. He says, "A pure democracy can admit no cure for the mischiefs of faction. A common passion or interest will be felt by a majority, and there is nothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party. Hence it is, that democracies have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths."
It is a matter of principle, I could not vote for either one, as the two have proven unworthy of managing the affairs of the DR state.
I would prefer a vote for none of the above.
When you sell out your principles, due to temporary convenience or "sustaining governability", you are selling out your soul to the devil. Chuck them both, they are both useless, corrupt and inept individuals. What we need in DR and the rest of the world is real change, not selling out because it is convenient. The rest can vote for either one, but I have to sleep well and hope that one day our populist non functioning system of electing leaders, is trashed, and the most capable are hired to run the monopolies of government.
"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. " Jefferson
Words to consider.
The bath water may indeed be soiled, but should we dump the baby, too?
There is still hope that the republic will find capable people to handle the process of de-Trujillismo/Balaguerismo/PRDismo and PLDismo. Perhaps too slow for many but who ever said political life and theater were simple? Politics with Punctuated equilibrium. Let's hope that the PLD candidate Danilo proves like the leader of Brazil, willing to take on the fat cats of Lula.
We will wait and see if there is any proof that Biwater left for reasons of bribery ,,,,they have never even mentioned it in any report or press release ,,,,,,and they have up and left from other countries before .
so before you start your unspecified attacks ,,just reassess your own comments that have a habit of being PROVEN incorrect
Professor,
It’s actually quite simple and really anticlimactic; when our friend appeared on the scene to shill for Lie-onel, he when into a panty twisting rant about my manners. He actually complained to the DT staff in attempted to get me banned.
Note:
Those were the day of hot exchanges among many of the original posters dread, gouletcolonial, myself and others. We hit hard and got hit hard but we respected each other’s opinions and in fact some of the ideological opposites were actual good friends. Apparently the government or their supporters were monitoring the posting and since they were taking a beating the “assigned” certain individuals from the “my country right or wrong” camp to come and Pollyanna, distort and obfuscate the Dominican reality. Their effort was to take the heat off the government and give a distorted view to the non-Dominicans that visited the site that new coming of Christ, Lie-onel, was creating a METROLANDIA-Shangri-La in DR.
Continued:
So when the friend in question began to protest about my “manners” I baptized him “Martha Stewart” in honor of the American queen of manners. Then I just shortened it to Martha.
Pa buen entendedor pocas palabras bastan........your assesment is on the money........a least for for the thinker amongst us////
is the guardian or the telegraph carrying-out this lack of judment?
The problem is that frequently you speculate without doing your homework first, just because you are mostly white and have tested the business waters in DR, does not make you an expert in DR, or in doing business in DR either. Your pretentious affirmations are mostly speculative, coming from a very narrow point of view. On top of that you are stubborn to the ninth degree.
You have still not read all the comments, otherwise you will have known that the individual suing Biwater was an intermediary who did not provide any construction work, and was simply trying to railroad Biwater for more commissions or kickbacks that they had agreed to and finally negotiated, and were willing or legally able to pay, according to USEXIM bank and federal regulations.
Now I may be wrong in my assumptions after reading the transcript of the DR supreme court decision, but here is the site and you may correct me later:
http://www.suprema.gov.do/PDF_2/fallos/Biwater_Vs_Fulgencio_Abreu.pdf
Here is a BLAST from the PAST to filed under the more things "change" the more the stay the same!
http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/....poorly-against-corruption-in-2005
Shareholders in Bi-Water??
Silence or discredit the messenger instead of confronting the real problem
In a country:
Where the president, Lie-onel Fernandez for almost 8 years has violated the constitutionally protected right that 4% of GDP be dedicated to the education of the Dominican children;
Where the president borrows $130,000,000 million dollars without the approval of congress and the money disappears;
Where the president is photographed at the national palace with and international drug dealer to whom he loaned $36,000,000 million dollars;
Where in open court it is revealed that the president authorized his right hand man Felix Bautista to do business with the right hand woman of the Puerto Rican Drug lord José Figueroa Agosto;
Where the president’s chief of police “buys” two apartments valued at over a million dollars each in the Narco Tower Atiemar;
continued:
Where the Senate President and General Secretary of the PLD, Reynaldo Pared Perez, “buys” a million dollar apt from known drug dealers fronting as legitimate construction businessmen;
What else can you called it but a Failed Narco State.
This "government" and its "leaders" have NO moral standing of any kind to get indignant about anything!
Don't forget the BILLIONS, yes Billions that have been stolen by the P.R.D. since the 1970's
Here is an excellent BLAST from the PAST:
Political-clientelism and poverty in the Dominican Republic
http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/....poverty-in-the-Dominican-Republic
Here is another feather for Lie-onel Fernandez's Neoliberal cap:
"The FAI said that poverty risks el social explosion"
"Commenting on the development report submitted by the United Nations program for development (UNDP), whereby the Dominican Republic dropped nine positions in the indicator of equality, the FAI, claims that these conditions of inequality are which promote violence, crime and the feminicide."
This Sunday the Federation of industrial associations (FAI) warned that progressive social inequality, product of the bad distribution of income, turns the country into a time bomb and risks it governability.
"A society like ours, so uneven and with so many lags in education and health, constitutes a time bomb like the ones that have sparked major social movements at the international level that have put an end to governments and have changed their political course", said the organization headed by Ignacio Méndez.
continued:
Boy, that marco-economic "miracle" is really working for the average Dominican in METROLANDIA!
http://www.7dias.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=111784
Diablo! Un loco de remate!LOL!
¡De acuerdo!
¡Gastar miles de millones de dólares en un METRO para pasear moscas, cuando no hay educación, luz, agua potable, medicina y seguridad contra el crimen, demuestra que Lie-onel Fernández y los que lo apoyan están locos de remate!
From what you are telling us, this is not a "failed narco-state" -
it is a highly successful one!
(to bad about the people)
Roy,
From that perspective you are absolutely right.
Lie-onel Fernandez and his purple gang have converted the economy of this country into one of the biggest Laundromats for the washing of international dirty money of all origins. The country was so overwhelmed with this money, that when the world economic crisis began the effects were not immediately felt locally. However, after two of his associates were caught, José Figueroa Agosto and Arturo Del Tiempo Marquez things got a bit tight so the borrowing to shore up the economy accelerated.
It its always amazing to me that people don’t realize that one of the reasons (if not THE reason) real-estate prizes and the cost of autos are so inflated beyond their real reasonable value, is due to excessive laundering of money through the “legit” economy.
continued:
Although, his apologist and lackeys will argue to their last breath (or government check, whichever comes first) that it is due to the brilliancy of his majesty and the “Macro-Economic Miracle” he has “created.” I don’t subscribe to supply side trickle-down economics, but even under that scheme when legitimately applied some minor benefits are felt by the public at large. However, when the real basis of the “development” is dirty money it doesn’t trickle down, much less circulate among the broader society.
That is why although the economy shows empirical “growth” poverty and inequality of resource distribution has also grown.
But let me stop there as I barely got a C- in economics 101 and this is really Dreads turf.
The Bristish are the worst thieves and pirates ever!!!
They pray on people or countries they believes are corrupt or thieves, quietly and smoothly scheme and rob them, so at the end they stole from the "bad guys" so the brits end up looking good, huh!,
You might call this the Peter pan-pirate complex , mastered through out centuries.
Poponlaburra, well said!
RoyStone,
Calling for “the truth” and “nothing but the truth” is reasonable. You want to have a poster with an unbiased eye for the truth. You don't want have a poster or a media outlet who will not be feeding you a pack of half-truths. The detail of “the whole truth” takes a bit more thought. The idea here is to make sure people do not leave out significant details in their story.
As the old saying goes, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes”
Mark Twain
"With corrupt governments we will not change", says Guillermo Moreno
"He stated that the Government of Leonel Fernández has based his legacy on building works such as subway and over passes by that offer great opportunities for corruption for the corporate group that governs but not with the intention of solving the problems for the overwhelming majority of the country."
"The three traditional parties are responsible for all the problems we have in health, education, safety, production and others, they have the cause of the great evils that we have today day and that they present their two candidates as the solution to solve them, thinking we are fools", he said.
http://www.acento.com.do/index.ph....os-advierte-Guillermo-Moreno.html
Yes sir, that's him.
if the British colonists were the biggest thieves, how come most former British colonies are faring much better than most of the others? Perhaps your logic has been overwhelmed by your Angliphobia?
Guys anything new on the ambassador's situation?
What Situation? The UK Ambassador is doing just fine. The "Situation" is massive, institutionalized Corruption in the D.R.
Ambassador Fisher, name names. Bring this to the World court.
The Dominican extortion group have to be brought into the light. They have stifled this country for decades now with impunity. It is time to end this farce.
I am appalled that the US hasn't done something. US citizens have been murder and NOTHING is done. I can only assume Ms Clinton has been paid off with a home in Punta Cana and hot and cold running sankies.
Are you insinuating that Hilary would cheat on her faithful husband?
Then maybe the politikeros would begin a reflection.
RoyStone you insult the moral obligation of being a husband when you refer to that scum as a husband.
If he or she were half a man they would have divorced. But politics in the US has turned into a sick joke, with several poster boys.
The Senate should be disbanded and the congress fired. Together they couldn’t represent the US people only their special interest groups and being able to buy and sell stocks with non-public knowledge
Sure would like to hear some possible solutions than all the analysis of current and past conditions.......
You see, this is CLASSICAL BLACKMAILING!! I knew the thieves pirates were going to pull something like this, is just a prelude to what they are really after.
For now they are just trying to pull the embarrassment card and intimidation, so that when "the thieve pirates" start demanding what they are really after, our politicians and people feel ashamed and will not oppose to their demands.
We all know what they are after.
Not all of Latin America is corrupt, and those places that have cleaned up their act will reap the rewards, to the determent of this failed state.
"Not all Latin America is corrupt", in this case you may be able to name the exception, not the rule, now I really doubt you won't be able to navigate your way around any Latin American country if you contact/bribe the right people, and yes, including Chile from personal experience. This "failed" state has been...well, failing since it was created, yet it still attracts billions of dollars every year and millions of visitors.
For all that think corruption is going to end in Latin America and the world for that matter, keep day dreaming or waste your time "Occupying DT", the more saavy ones will laugh all the way to the bank.
Read the above article by two important scholars .
Several paragraphs stand out for us Dominicans:
"Why has so little progress been made in improving developing countries' public sectors? The first problem is that their bureaucracies often serve governments that are rent-seeking coalitions acting according to self-interest,[PRD, PLD in the case of DR] instead of an ideal of impersonal public service. Outside donors typically do not have the leverage to force them to change, with the partial exception of mechanisms such as the European Union's accession process. Second, effective institutions have to evolve indigenously, reflecting a country's own political, social, and cultural realities."
But there are many more interesting notes in the article. There is also another article written by MOISÉS NAÍM "La desigualdad tóxica"
http://internacional.elpais.com/i....actualidad/1322343791_958571.html
“It is clear that there is systemic complacency about corruption in the UK, even if the problem is not endemic. The Government needs the courage to admit that many checks and balances have failed,” he added. “Instead of a proliferation of inquiries we need urgent action to put in place policies that will prevent such a crisis from happening again and restore public trust in our key institutions.
“The UK is complacent about corruption. This has allowed a culture of impunity to develop, in which corruption is not seriously analysed or investigated, and individuals have behaved unethically in the belief that they would not or should not be held to account.”
The report revealed that despite the continued lack of transparency within Britain, the UK Bribery Act has marginally improved the nation’s international rating.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/the-world-s-most-corrupt-countries.html