HolaDR.com: Everything About The Dominican Republic!

Thumbs down on new Constitution

Image by Brymo via Flickr Lawyers Nassef Perdomo, Cristobal Rodriguez, Eduardo Jorge Prats and Josue Fiallo explained to students the pros and cons of the new Constitution that is due to go into effect on 11 December, as reported in Hoy. At the gathering, “Constitutional Reform: Progress or Setback,” Perdomo and Rodriguez spoke up on the cons of…

Zero crime in tourist zones

The director of Touristic Police says there is zero crime in the country’s tourist zones. Brigade General Henry de Jesus Gomez Bueno, of the Army, attributes this to an increase in patrols and the collaboration of the community that lives in the tourism destinations. He said Politur recently was outfitted with 35 pickups and another 35 motorcycles for patrolling. In an interview with El Dia, he said that logistics are expected to improve further with the installation of closed circuits…

The most corrupt in government

These are some shameful numbers here.  Corruption in DR has become an epidemic by now. Dominicans perceive the most corrupt institutions in the DR are the political parties (52.5%), judiciary (49.8%), Police (44.6%), Congress 40.9%, Department for Control of Corruption in Government (DPCA) (40.9%) and the Presidency of the Republic (32.7%). The perception is that the least corrupt are the National Ethics Commission (19%), Department of Passports (18.7%), community associations (14.3%), Catholic Church (14.3%) and Christian churches (7.8%). The…

Call for actions against corruption

Image via Wikipedia Thirty-four civil society organizations led by Foro Ciudadano (Citizens Forum) and Participacion Ciudadana (Citizen Participation) are demanding that the General Prosecutor of the Republic should begin the actions that are needed to safeguard the transparency of the state. They request more efforts from the chief executives at the Supreme Court of Justice, Senate, Chamber of…

“Retired” general speaks

General Juan Tomas Taveras Rodriguez, who was forcibly retired from the Police after publishing critical comments, wasn’t being insubordinate or rude when he decided to go the civil courts to challenge a ruling that he considered in violation of the Police’s Organic Law. Taveras was disciplined by the Police Department for expressing his opinions on police reform in his column in the Clave Digital online news service. “Police General Rafael Guillermo Guzman Fermin didn’t comply with that law and that…

Anti-corruption dispositions- Do they matter?

I bet goverment officials will just laugh at this.  Please read on: Manuel Quiterio Cedeno, writing in today’s El Caribe, says that despite claims by government officials that no legislation exists that prohibits government officials from employing their relatives and friends in their departments or doing business for profit taking advantage of their posts, this is not the case. He says that there are articles in the Constitution, the Penal Code, laws and international conventions approved by the country that…

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REJECTS CHANGES TO MARRIAGE LAW

Affirms Statement Against Same-Sex Unions SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, JUNE 11, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Dominican Republic Congress approved a statement defining marriage as being between a man and a woman. On Wednesday members of review assembly working on constitutional reform affirmed this definition, and also rejected a proposal to amend the Constitution in a way that would civilly recognize marriages performed in all of the churches located in the country. The Catholic Church, however, retains the power to celebrate marriages…

New rules on who is Dominican

Gender discrimination in granting Dominican citizenship will be eliminated from the Constitution, according to modifications approved by the Constitutional Revisory Assembly yesterday. In the past, if a foreign woman married a Dominican, she would acquire Dominican nationality, but this was not the case for foreign men who married Dominican women. Now, both would be entitled to Dominican citizenship. The Assembly also ruled on Art. 16 of the Constitution on nationality on a mix of jus sanguinis (by parents) and jus…

How to Avoid Fraud and Corruption When Buying Real Estate in the Dominican Republic

Read the Dominican Property Guide from Dominican Watchdog before investing in the Dominican Republic Everybody can buy real estate in the Dominican Republic – no residence or local partners are required! Be careful with all estate agents and realtors in the Dominican Republic as they do not need a license to operate, and they have no malpractice insurance. Your deposits are not covered by any laws or organizations. Before signing any contracts, or paying any money, you must use…

Dominican Republic Nobly Passes Bill to Preserve Life – Lesson for the Whole World

I found this great article that not only shares the joy of everyone who is a pro life but also give a brief historical description on who Dominicans are, where they came from, ancestry, and history. The new law recently signed by the president surely marks an important bookmark in Dominican and world’s history. “On April 23, 2009 the Dominican Republic was urged by its President Leonel Fernandez to consider the matter of ending the…