Dominican leader a ´predator who pillages weak democracy`

Santo Domingo.- Deputy Minou Tavarez Mirabal on Thursday saidthe Dominican government´s "corruption, extortion and blackmail" concernsand embarrasses her for having to expose it abroad, and called president DaniloMedina one of the “predators which pillage weak democracies.”

"I come hereworried and ashamed, and I confess it," Tavarez said during herparticipation in the 6th Latin American Democracy Forum held in MexicoCity.

Tavarez, president andpresidential candidate of the minority parties Democratic Choice and Alliancefor Democracy, spoke on the topic "Corruption: problem of culture and/orof legality in democracy?"

"I come fromDominican Republic, where a few weeks ago a government contractor committedsuicide in a public office, overwhelmed by extortion and blackmail, a victim ofpublic officials," she said.

Speaking torepresentatives from most Latin American countries, the deputy affirmed that Dominicanpresident Danilo Medina bribed lawmakers to amend the Constitution to allow hisreelection.

"I come from aparliament which was intimidated by the government’s bribery to achieveconstitutional reform that would allow the reelection of the current president,showing the world and all democratic awareness the brutality with whichpredators pillage weak democracies without institutions, without separation ofpowers and unscrupulous rulers."