RAMALLAH, Palestine. – While president Leonel Fernandez tours the troubled Middle East, back home faces growing unrest by workers unions on spiraling prices and rebuke by business leaders for his constant travels abroad.

In a press conference after meeting with National Palestine Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, the Dominican leader said it’s essential to push Palestine-Israel talks -with the international community’s support- to reach a categorical and satisfactory peace accord, with the latter’s right to exist within safe, internationally recognized borders.

Fernandez said Dominican Republic supports the Palestinians’ right as an independent State, but noted that to achieve those goals it must be according to the UN Resolution

He said his nation decided to recognize the existence of the State of Palestine during the Summit of nonaligned Countries in July 2009, held in Sharm el Sheik, Egypt, adding that his visit shows his Government’s renewed commitment with the Palestinians and an interest to strengthen friendship, cooperation and solidarity.

The Head of State also thanked to communities of Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian origin in Dominican Republic, thanking them for their social, cultural and economic contributions.

Back home

The president of the young entrepreneurs grouped in ANJE on Sunday said the Government’s lack of will to establish a strict austerity program to improve the current situation, and Fernandez’s frequent and prolonged trips abroad with bid delegations concerns them.

Lara Guerrero said Fernandez’s proposed tax package now in Congress means severe sacrifices for a population already impacted by the crisis, for which the Government must follow suit by cutting spending such as in those trips abroad, to concentrate on priority areas.

General strike

Faced with what they call Dominican society’s exasperating situation of spiraling prices on basic staples, health services and the electricity bill, and now “big tax box,” a nationwide assembly of unions, social and community organizations announced a general strike of 24 hours for July 11, and a picket in front of Congress today.

The spokesman for the Alternative Social Forum said if the people don’t struggle for their rights, “no one is going to do it for us.”

Victor Geronimo said the strike is to rebuke the tax package, the 14% jump in the cost of health services, the “tiring blackouts,” and lower fuel prices.