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Press Release

PRESIDENT OF DOMINICAN REPUBLIC UNDERLINES URGENT NEED
TO ADDRESS CITIZENS’ NEEDS TO SUSTAIN DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM

President Leonel Fernández of the Dominican Republic, speaking at the Organization of American States in Washington Tuesday, warned that unless citizens’ social and economic needs are met, the democratic system could be at risk of destabilization.

“It calls for effective national, regional and global responses to social and economic needs and expectations,” Fernández declared during a protocolary session of the OAS Permanent Council, chaired by Ambassador Roberto Alvarez of the Dominican Republic.

President Fernández said his government has undertaken to “immediately address those demands by pursuing the United Nations Millennium Goals,” which include measures to cut poverty by a half while tackling such critical issues as primary education, HIV-AIDS and gender—to address fundamental issues “to help our people move forward.”

Beyond the Millennium Goals, the president called for an economic system that delivers growth, jobs and a higher value-added for goods and services we produce. “Such an economic system is vital to providing a platform to facilitate our entry into the global market,” he added.

The Dominican leader stressed the urgency of “tackling social inequality and exclusion problems in order to ensure democracy’s survival at the national and regional levels.” He touched as well on the need to fight terrorism by “reaffirming the values of democracy and freedom” and to counteract tensions stemming from street protests that “turn our democracies into plebiscite-based democracies, and which, as in several dramatic cases recently, can bring down elected civilian governments.”

OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza received the visiting President, commending Fernandez’ longstanding commitment to democracy and citing initiatives he has championed to spur economic growth and address his countries political situation. Insulza also announced that Santo Domingo will host the Inter-American Forum on Political Parties, bringing together political parties from Central America, Dominican Republic and Mexico. The Dominican capital will also host the 36th regular session of the OAS General Assembly session next June, Insulza noted.

Prior to the Council meeting, the President and the Secretary General signed a cooperation agreement involving the OAS, the Dominican Republic government, the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development, and the United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic, on the 23rd Model OAS Assembly for university students that the Dominican Republic will host March 5 to 10 next year. Executive Director Natasha Despotovic signed for the Global Foundaton for Democracy and Development and Executive Director Pilar Sandoval for UNA-DR.
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Reference: E-196/05