Ex-president lauds, then slams Dominican leader

Santo Domingo.- Former President Hipolito Mejia on Friday saidpresident Danilo Medina has proven to be ambitious and makes use of taxpayersin his presidential bid, far from being humble, democratic and transparent in thecurrent process electoral.

But just hours earlier in New York however, Mejia hadnothing but praise for the current president, calling him an "achiever,""humble man" and a "worker."

The former President’s previous statements were made in interviewin which he praised the candidate for reelection, when asked to compare Medinawith the also former president Leonel Fernandez.

Mejia said Medina had broken his Presidential oath forfailing to enforce the law by obtaining a constitutional reform at "anyprice," and the illegal use and abuse use of state funds to forge allianceswith other political groups.

“President Medina has violated the Budget Act in payroll spending, exaggerated advertising costs, inadequate public investment, increasedjudicial impunity and has prostituted state institutions,” Mejia said in asubsequent statement.

"Because of that impunity allowed by Danilo Medina insecurityand crime has grown enormously in the country."

Univision

The ex-president’s contradicting statements come just twodays before the general elections, and noted that unlike his predecessor,Leonel Fernandez, Medina "has done a good job.”

Mejia, whose daughter Carolina Mejia is opposition PRM partypresidential candidate Luis Abinader’s running mate, was interviewed by Dominicanjournalist Merijoel Duran on Univisión Channel 41 in New York.