Opposition party’s reconciliation hopes sputter

Santo Domingo.- Senior leaders of the faction in Dominican Republic’s major opposition party (PRD) headed by former president Hipolito Mejia met Thursday morning for what they called the organization’s "real" National Executive Committee (CEN), and slammed PRD president Miguel Vargas, accusing him of forging a “conspiracy of criminals,” with former president Leonel Fernandez.

At the meeting held at the Club Los Prados, the senior leaders in Mejia’s camp, Geanilda Vásquez, Hugo Tolentino, Rafael Suverbí, Milagros Ortiz and Orlando Jorge focused their rebuke on Vargas, accusing him of being on the side of the ruling PLD party.

"For Miguel Vargas, the PRD is a way to obtain money … It’s difficult to negotiate with him without falling into the clutches of criminal conspirators," Tolentino said, while Bosch "didn’t want a party with a dictator. We’ve fought for a democratic PRD."

The PRD leaders in Vargas’ faction had met an hour earlier, as his close collaborators were chosen to replace those loyal to Mejia in several key positions will likely put an end to any reconciliation effort.