After nearly 12 years, Dominican leader admits morass in military ranks

Santo Domingo.- The President of the Dominican Republic Wednesday asked the heads of the Armed Forces and the National Police to revise the ranks in their entities, because he noticed inequality within the same categories.

Leonel Fernandez’s request comes in the heels of years of rebuke and criticism against the police and the military branches by civil society on the morass in the ballooned number of generals, proportionately the world’s highest.

The chief executive, during a National Palace ceremony to recognize Armed Forces and National Police senior officers with as many as 35 years in service, said the ranks among members of one same graduation class are either very high of very low, which in his view must be corrected.

He said there’re some military with very high ranks and others very low, despite forming part of the same promotion, “for which I’ve asked that for next February 27, National Independence day, those military branches submit a list which allows a professional recognition of its members.”

Fernandez, whose acknowledgment of a lack of institutionalism in the military and police comes after holding office for nearly 12 years, said “if today we can speak of a Dominican Republic in the 21st century which is modernized, advances and progresses,” it’s because of the military and police.