US embassy cable - 03SANTODOMINGO7395

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 007395 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA, WHA/CAR; TREASURY FOR DO:NLEE, RTOLOUI; NSC 
FOR SHANNON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, DR 
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ELECTIONS #8: MEJIA'S PRD OPPONENTS -- 
OVERRULED OR WITHDRAWN 
 
 
1.  (SBU) Following is number 8 in our Dominican election 
series: 
 
MEJIA'S PRD OPPONENTS -- OVERRULED OR WITHDRAWN 
 
PRD President Hatuey De Camps and a group of supporters came 
to Embassy Santo Domingo this afternoon, December 16, to say 
they expected that at 4 pm -- half an hour from now -- the 
Central Elections Board (JCE) will find against their 
convention and Hatuey's candidacy. This would confirm that 
the December 21 PRD "convention" (actually, a nationwide 
party primary), will be the vehicle to choose the PRD 
candidate.  But at 5 pm, barring unexpected developments, 
Mejia's three opponents will make public their own statement 
criticizing a "distorted" PRD voter registration roll, 
calling on Mejia to desist, and informing him that unless he 
does so, none of them will participate in the convention. 
 
So Mejia would be home free -- at least, as far as the 
renomination is concerned. 
 
These expectations are all over the Santo Domingo street. 
The afternoon paper "El Nacional" carries a headline, photos, 
and two interior pages on the expected development. 
According to the paper, Mejia's campaign manager Eligio 
Jaquez met the press this morning to tell them that Mejia 
would go solo to the December 21 convention. Jaquez said of 
Mejia, "When he received their letter, he burst into an 
enormous chuckle."  Mejia's formal reply will be delivered 
today. 
 
"El Nacional" carries a sketchy account of last night's 
meeting of the three withdrawing leaders, which occurred in 
Esquea's residence.  One assertion is that of the 377,000 
names newly added to the rolls, more than 20,000 are police 
or military officers, barred by law from voting. 
 
The paper states that PRD convention organizer Secretary of 
Culture Tony Raful will meet the three withdrawing candidates 
at 5 pm for a last discussion. 
 
 
Hatuey provided a photocopy of the letter from the three. 
Following is our informal translation. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
 
December 15, 2003 
 
Ing. Agr. 
Hipolito Mejia 
President of the Republic 
 
Dear President and Comrade, 
 
As you know, we supported your presidential candidacy in the 
2000 elections, believing that one of us or another Party 
member would be your successor in the 2004-2008 government. 
 
We were immensely surprised when last April you announced 
your decision to stand for a renewed presidential candidacy, 
and, although many colleagues in the Party did not accept 
your ambition to stand again, we have been seeking solutions 
right up to the Convention  set for Sunday the 21st. 
 
Nevertheless, the organizing of this Convention has not been 
easy and there have been many difficult situations which 
threaten to cut short the Convention and submerge us in 
insoluble difficulties. 
 
To be specific, we refer to the fact that in the printed 
registry for the Convention, in a first phase nearly half a 
million electors were excluded, and, subsequently, we found 
the  the inclusion of members of the Reformed Social 
Christian Party and the Dominican Liberation Party.  The 
editions available up until today portray a status which 
distorts the participation of the PRD base, a situation in 
which it is not possible to carry out the Convention. 
 
In addition, you will be aware that as a result of your 
aspiration to run again, the Party is rapidly coming apart, a 
situation which can only be rectified if you lose the vote in 
this Convention. 
 
At the same time, you are aware of the high rate of rejection 
for re-election at this time when the country is going 
through a profound economic crisis, one which is certainly 
not exclusively your responsibility.  This economic crisis 
along with the lack of Party unity make impossible the 
victory of a re-electionist candidate.  This would leave us 
out of power and with a divided party. 
 
We have never doubted your love for the Party and your 
interest in maintaining the PRD party in government, and 
because of that we ardently petition you to desist in your 
re-election ambitions so that, through a process of 
negotiation, you and we can choose presidential and 
vice-presidential candidates.  Following this step, it would 
be sufficient to submit those proposal for ratification by 
the party faithful. 
Mr. President, comrade, we know that we are asking you to 
renounce very legitimate aspirations, but we do so inspired 
by the ideal of avoiding large national and party conflicts, 
in the conviction that you will be the great victor if those 
events can be avoided. 
 
Finally, comrade President, should this petition not be 
acceptable to you, we must inform you with great sadness that 
we would abstain from participating in the coming Convention. 
 
Fraternally yours, 
 
(signed) 
 
Dra. Milagros Ortiz Bosch 
 
Dr. Rafael Subervi onilla 
 
Dr. Emmanuel T. Esquea Guerrero 
 
2.  (U)  Draft:  Michael Meigs 
HERTELL