Dignitaries arrive for Medina inauguration

Santo Domingo.- More than 200international guests, including heads of state, presidents, vice presidents anddelegations, will attend tomorrows swearing in ceremony of Danilo Medina andMargarita Cedeño as president and vice president of the Republic

Although the organizing committeesaid that 14 heads of state and vice presidents would be attending the event,so far only the president of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo, is confirmed.

Brazilian leader Dilma Rousseff, whohad said she would attend, will not be present. Foreign Minister AntonioPatriota will be representing her at the event, according to reports.

Costa Rica and Uruguay will berepresented by deputy foreign ministers Carlos Roverssi and Roberto Conde,Guatemala by foreign minister Harold Caballeros, and Spain by the Prince ofAsturias, Felipe de Borbón, heir to the throne. There will also be specialcommissions representing 75 countries and 15 international agencies.

Event coordinator Rubén Bishara saidthat the day’s program would begin at 8 a.m.

Guests will start arriving at theNational Assembly at the Congress headquarters half an hour later, andpresident Leonel Fernández is expected to arrive at 10 in the morning. Theceremony is scheduled to end at noon.

Afterwards, president Medina andvice president Cedeño de Fernández will travel to the National Palace wherethey will be greeted and congratulated by international and national guests.

At around 2 p.m. the new presidentwill swear in his new cabinet members. He will then attend, together with hiswife, First Lady Cándida Montilla and vice president Cedeño de Fernández, a TeDeum service at the Cathedral, led by Cardinal López Rodríguez.

At 3:30, the new leaders will leavea floral tribute at the Altar de la Patria and two hours later they will headthe military parade marking the 149th anniversary of the Restorationof the Republic.

The handover ceremonies willconclude at 8 in the evening with a cocktail reception hosted by presidentMedina and the First Lady at the National Palace.

For the first time this inaugurationwill be attended representatives from Vietnam, North Korea, the Philippines,India, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian Authority, Kuwait, Azerbaijan,Namibia, Morocco, Malaysia, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. The International PressCenter will be based at the Hotel Santo Domingo, said the organizers.