Dominican authorities brace for called nationwide strike

Santo Domingo.- The head of the National Police and military leaders met Monday to discuss the strategy to maintain public order as various sectors called for a nationwide protest against the tax reform bill currently in Congress.

Palace spokesman Roberto Rodriguez said the government is open to dialogue and that the organizers haven’t made any proposal. He said the government is open to proposals because they bolsters democracy.

He said president Danilo Medina met with the sectors which have requested it almost since he took over. "All we ask is that any expression of discontent or dissatisfaction is done within what the Constitution stipulates, that is, in a peaceful manner."

Rodriguez said the tax reform now in the Chamber of Deputies is the most progressive the country has ever known. He said everything that has been said against the reform is speculations which precede situations, but that there’s no study that show it will mean increases.

Partial support

Yesterday the groups Tax Justice and the Alternative Social Forum pulled out from any other call other than the vigil and march from the Santo Domingo State University to Congress.

Polanco urged caution to the organizers, and affirmed that around 20,000 agents were ready to keep the peace.

Meanwhile the FSA, Tax Justice and some bus owners unions separately confirmed the staging of protests nationwide, including a 10AM march and a mass with several priests in the capital.

Polanco Gomez said that "from earlier today (yesterday) we have met with the military to take necessary precautions, everything runs normally and that no unnecessary events occur."