Dominican Republic’s opposition party asks to be saved from its “hordes”

Santo Domingo.- The president of Dominican Republic’s major opposition party (PRD) has asked president Danilo Medina to guarantee public order during the meeting of the PRD’s National Executive Committee, noting concern with "the unpleasant incident and vandalistic attacks we were subjected as a party, in a similar meeting on 27 January."

Miguel Vargas, in a letter to Medina dated 9 July, says as president, he “must uphold the same values "that you are accustomed to defend, this time without bias, without interference, just as sentinel of democracy, can not be at the expense of blackmail or threats of any group or faction."

He said the media are full of threats from people who don’t belong to the PRD or belonging to it, haven’t cleansed their actions by denying the purposes of democratic coexistence.

Vargas called the attacks by armed groups during the PRD’s last meeting on January 27 “undesirable and unwanted.”.

"Needless to say here, and taking into account the respect for your time, the memory of the unpleasant incident and vandalistic attacks were subjected as a party, in a similar meeting on 27 January this year, when mobs were incited to commit abuse despite the prevision taken by law enforcement," he said.

"But what was even worse was the participation, leading these vandal hordes, of active and retired military with assault weapons and other gear, under the acquiescent gaze of the authorities," Vargas said.

The disclosure of the request by the PRD president comes in the heels of a Superior Electoral Tribunal’s ruling denying Vargas’ demand that the National Police protect the premises chosen for the meeting, whose date has yet to be set, and which former president Hipolito Mejia and other senior leaders have pledged to “throw more than just chairs,” in reference to the melee of January 27.