Santo Domingo.- Nearly nine of every 10 readers of Dominican Republic’s only evening paper agree with Central Electoral Board (JCE) president Roberto Rosario that the national identity and Independence are being threatened.
An online poll by elnacional.com.do found that 86% of its readers share the concern, against 14% who disagree.
Rosario said he’s concerned with the position of some Dominicans which in his view have allied themselves to foreign interests to grant the nationality to the thousands mostly Haitian foreigners despite living illegally in the country.
The conservative nationalist party FNP and the Nationality Defense Network have denounced that international pressure is being brought to bear on the country to issue citizenship to any foreigner who says they was born here, even without producing documents or evidence of their birthplace.
The FNP and the Network also affirm that if citizenship is granted to thousands of Haitians, it would create a minority capable of influencing elections.
Most El Nacional readers (80%) also believe that the laws on naturalization and on the regularization Haitians violate the Constitution.
Poppycock
The outlet notes however that other sectors and human rights groups reject the notions as poppycock, and accuse the FNP and other conservative groups of being anti-Haitian.