Top Deputy: I know cronyism is bad but I can’t stop it

Santo Domingo.- Chamber of Deputies president Abel Martínez said Tuesday that a lawmaker’s role isn’t handing out gifts to constituents, but to legislate, represent and serve to solve their jurisdiction’s problems, but admitted that he hasn’t been able to put a halt to that practice by his colleagues.

He said since assuming the Chamber Presidency in 2010, he has sought to eradicate some of the practices which are even consigned the budget with taxpayers’ money, such as spending millions of pesos to buy toys on the Epiphany (Three Dings Day).

He said the articles purchased to hand out on Mother’s Day and Christmas are bought with transparency , but didn’t cite the items handed out for the Easter, which uncovered what the people refer to as the “sweet beans scandal.”

"No one knew it before, if it has been criticized, if this has been part of the debate it’s been because we’ve posted it and we have presented it. However, by being transparent, the criticism might be harsher, more bitter and it has cost us," Martinez said.

Interviewed by newspaper El Caribe, the lawmaker added that the issue of cronyism should be dealt with responsibility by all sectors, “to create the voters’ awareness on the true role of their legislators."