Dominican leader shuns the Office’s pomposity

Santo Domingo.- President Danilo Medina’s photo will not be hanging in government offices, after the chief executive himself instructed their removal, a measure which ends a tradition established during the dictator Rafael Trujillo’s era.

"Everyone knows who’s the president," Medina said according to a source cited by listin.com.do. The first to comply with the instruction was the National Palace, where works of renowned painters replaced the photos.

The chair with the Dominican shield, used by all presidents and taken to places where they must go, especially inaugurals and special events, will also not be used by Medina and will sit on the one assigned for that purpose instead.

The president, who usually leaves the Palace from 8 to 8:20pm, also expressed concern about the number of bodyguards used by officials, a concern extended to his own security detail, which has been considerably reduced.

Whether heading to the Palace or his residence and elsewhere, Medina uses a modest motorcade, of just three vehicles, discarding the pomposity normally associated with the President’s travels.