Quitting overseers question Dominican Republic Govt. transparency

Santo Domingo.- Theresignation of five of the seven members of the National Student Welfare Institute(Inabie) Oversight Committee on alleged failure to obtain information requestedwas labeled as disagreement with overseers´ regulations by Inabie director ReneJaquez.

After "deeplyregretting" the overseers´ resignation in a letter sent to Presidency chiefof staff Gustavo Montalvo, Jaquez said 98% of the information the Commissionrequested was provided and if some were slowed, it was because gathering therequested data required more time.

"I think thatsaying that we didn’t provide the information requested was an excuse to quit,because they understand that the regulations will hamper free expression,"he said.

Article 20 of the regulationstates that oversight committee reports should be sent simultaneously to the headof the agency and to Public Procurement as part of the socialization process.

Moreover Article 21 instructsPublic Procurement´s validation of the analyzed procedure, where deemedappropriate.

In their letter Inabie Oversightcommissioners Ana Lora Mithila, Ramon Baez, Flavio Dario Mendez, and theprelates Frank Cruz and Johnnie Martinez say Jaquez ignored their request and didn’ttake them seriously. They also complain that decree 183-15 hinders overseersfrom divulging information to the public.

As to the website, alsoquestioned by the overseers, because in their view doesn’t meet transparency requirements.