Dominican Republic President: Leonel Fernandez Reyna

Background Area: 48,442 sq. km. Capital: Santo Domingo Pop 9 million, annual growth rate 1.8% Language: Spanish Ethnicity: 73% mixed, 16% European, 11% African Literacy: 84.7%

Government Independence 1844 and 1863 Representative Democracy –Constitution 1966, amended 2002 –Presidential system 31 Provinces and one National District –Santo Domingo Universal suffrage, political parties

Government Multi-party political system National elections every 2 years Presidential system (P/VP on same ticket) –Direct vote, 4 year terms –Unitary state – President appoints provincial governors (31) Bicameral Congress –House of Representatives (178), Senate (32) Supreme Court of Justice –16 –Ultimate court of appeals

Economy GDP: billion Growth Rate: 9.3% Per capita GDP: 3,247 Economic Sectors: –Agriculture: sugarcane, coffee, cocoa, bananas, tobacco, rice –Industry: cane refining, pharmaceuticals, cement, construction –Services: tourism and transportation –Trade: textiles, sugar, coffee, ferronickel, tobacco, etc.

History Taino inhabitants Discovery of Hispaniola 1492 – Taino mostly destroyed in first 50 years of colonization Hispaniola ownership: –1697 ceded by Spain to France –1894 independent from France (Haitian uprising) – Haitians conquer entire island and hold it. –1844 Juan Pablo Duarte – drives Haitians out, founds DR –1861 DR voluntarily returns to Spain – independence restored – US occupation –1924 democratic elections –1930 Rafael Trujillo establishes dictatorship

Trujillo military dictatorship ending in Trujillo’s assassination, family exiled. Promoted economic development Corruption, mismanagement Severe repression 1960 OAS imposed diplomatic sanctions because of Trujillo’s support of the effort to assassinate Betancourt in Venezuela efforts to democratize: –Elections, coups, occupation by US

Trujillo Totalitarian control from , period of decline to assassination. Why: –history: geographic isolation and weak weak traditional power holders/alternatives –enhancement of state structures: military –Ideological arguments: anti-Haitianism, Catholicism –Economic/political means: co-opted, corrupted and repressed for his benefit. –International factors – dependence on USA, US no- intervention plus containment policies.

1966 elections President Balaguer, Reformist Party (Social Christian Reformist Party) elected. Period of democratic stability ensues: –1970, 1974 Balaguer re-elected –1978 defeated by Antonio Gizman (Dominican Revolutionary Party); first peaceful transfer of power from one elected president to another elections PRD candidate wins – era of two party domination between PRD and SCRP ensues Occasional complaints of electoral fraud other problems have resulted in amendments to the constitution Since 1996 elections viewed as free and fair.

Joaquin Balaguer legacy Authoritarian modernization. Governs via electoral processes for 22 years Combines political stagnation with socio-economic transformation – growth averages 7.6% real GDP –ISI stimulated growth accelerates to 11% between Stable party structure but dominated by authoritarian framework around Balaguer. –Parties were not strengthened. –Military remains strong unchallenged but managed in this time period. Possibility of political factionalism emerges from this era. Institutional weakness another important legacy

Political History 1989 the Dominican Republic had gone through 29 constitutions in less than 150 years of independence. somewhat deceiving indicator of political stability –Dominican practice is to adopt new constitution whenever amended

Positive developments Sustained economic growth beginning in 1960s and continuing to today despite downturn in 1980s. –Economic growth challenged by crisis in 80-90s forced state to subsidize state enterprises and not draw resources from them. –Awareness of tourism’s sensitivity to political stability? Civil society has diversified –Business groups –Sharp inequalities still persist.

Ethnic cleavage Dominican Republic has defined itself in opposition to Haiti DR is primarily mulatto but Balaguer sought to project white, catholic presence, view. Indigenous population gone but many self identify with this past Migration from Haiti to Dominican Republic has been consistent –Prejudice, denial of rights, source of cheap labor –Haitian Afro-blackness versus Dominican –Social construction of race: gradations of black –Race or nationality? –Dominicans reject blackness; reject Haitians (bc/they are Haitians not bc/they are black).

Contemporary Challenges Enactment of far reaching market structural reforms which allow the country to maintain economic growth and respond to the challenges of globalization. Current institutional framework combines presidentialism with fragmented party system. Reducing the ability of the executive to retain power (introduces the possibility of instability). Political party system is in transition. Historic leadership is falling away, replacement is unknown Increasing efficiency, accountability, transparency of key political institutions.