US embassy cable - 04SANTODOMINGO1823

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 001823 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, WHA/PPC, AND DRL 
NSC FOR SHANNON AND MADISON 
LABOR FOR ILAB 
TREASURY FOR OASIA-LAMONICA 
USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION 
USDOC FOR 3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH 
DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, DR 
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ELECTION #29: LEONEL'S V.P. - LOW KEY 
AND PLD 
 
REF: SANTO DOMINGO 1697 
 
1. (SBU) This is no. 29 in our series on the Dominican 
presidential election: 
 
LEONEL'S V.P. - LOW KEY AND PLD 
 
Leonel Fernandez's March 16 announcement that Rafael 
Albuquerque would be his vice-presidential running mate 
surprised nearly everyone.  It could prove to be an astute 
choice.  The patrician Alburquerque, former secretary of 
state for labor and a long-time member of the PLD, also 
served in a PRSC administration and is a respected expert in 
labor law.  Fernandez deliberately passed over more powerful 
PLD figures expected to compete for the party's presidential 
nomination in 2008, including former candidate Danilo Medina 
and former Vice President Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal. 
Albuquerque is low key, regarded as honest and capable.  He 
is likely to play a solid second fiddle to concertmaster 
Leonel, with no dissonances.  Typical comment around here: 
"He won't add many votes, but will alienate none." 
 
Fernandez waited until 6 pm on the final day before 
candidacies had to be declared.  Many believed that he would 
announced PRSC veteran Carlos Morales Troncoso.  Common 
wisdom that Morales Troncoso would serve somehow as a 
"bridge" to Washington; when Morales Troncoso didn't make the 
cut, common wisdom reversed itself to declare that Washington 
hadn't found Morales Troncoso acceptable.  Morales told the 
papers that yes, Leonel had offered him the post and he had 
simply turned it down. 
 
Rafael Alburquerque served as PRSC President Balaguer's labor 
secretary, 1991-96, and continued with that portfolio in the 
 
SIPDIS 
Fernandez administration until 2000.  He was one of three 
authors of the current Dominican labor code, enacted in 1992, 
and during his nine years in the cabinet established a 
reputation for integrity and moderation.  Respected Catholic 
University (PUCMM) dean Flavio Dario Espinal writes, 
"Alburquerque has the best credentials to help in processes 
of mediation and negotiation of social conflicts, and to 
strengthen the government's capacity to communicate with the 
common people generally."  This could come in handy; the 
currently ruling PRD if in opposition might mobilize its 
militants and affiliated unions to promote strikes as it did 
during the previous Fernandez administration.  Albuquerque 
has cordial relations with most political leaders. 
 
Born June 14, 1940, Alburquerque was a founding member of the 
Dominican Students Federation and the PLD.  In the 1978 and 
1982 elections, he served as number two on PLD founder Juan 
Bosch's ticket, but the irascible Bosch later expelled himv 
from the party.  Alburquerque established his own Party of 
the Dominican People (PPD), and in the 1996 election gave his 
support to the National Patriotic Front which carried Leonel 
Fernandez (PLD) to the presidency. 
 
Alburquerque has four decades' experience as a labor lawyer 
and law professor and has authored several books in the 
field.  He received a doctorate in law from the University of 
Paris in 1965.  In 1988, he went to the United States as an 
international visitor (IV) grantee. 
 
2, (U) Drafted by Bainbridge Cowell. 
 
3. (U) This report and the rest of our electoral series are 
on the SIPRNET at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/  along with 
exte