Haiti crisis reveals Dominican President’s lack of mettle

Santo Domingo.- The mounting concerns that Dominican Republic’s President lacks the mettle needed to deal with a rapidly-deteriorating Haiti came to the fore Thursday when Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez asked Danilo Medina to state a position on the dispute with the neighboring country Haitian and the attacks on Dominican diplomats in their territory.

The prelate’s request comes seven days after Dominican Consulate staff was forced to lock down the facility in the Haitian town of Anse-à-Pitre, on which the Dominican Government has yet to issue a statement.

The religious leader criticized the Government’s silence on the conflicts arising from the neighboring country in recent weeks. "I think it’s important that he as the nation’s leader must speak and speak often to the country and respond immediately whenever there’s a situation."

Regarding statements by Haiti ambassador Fritz Cineas, López said: "The Haitian issue needs much patience and much sanity from those who are handling the situation, but in my view, firmness is also needed."

In his usually stern manner, Lopez said Dominican Republic cannot continue at the mercy of what two or three people from the Dominican government say, and urged the authorities to seriously deal with the country’s real problems. "Therefore the President has to be attentive to listen to all Dominican voices, not just the ones next to him, which may be more or less oriented or disoriented."