Paving way for violence, the opposition breaks cities’ ‘golden rule’ pact

Santo Domingo.- The major opposition party (PRM) on Tuesdaybroke the municipalities’ "golden rule" pact, which calls to elect a CityCouncil president who’s from the same party as that of the Mayor.

The “pact” arose in the wake of a violent confrontation in Piedra Blanca (central) in 2005, when a dispute over the election ofthe city council president led to a shootout that left four people dead.

PRM president Andres Bautista said the so-called golden ruleshould be that the City Council determines who’ll preside the leaders of themunicipal administrations.

"The golden rule is democracy, transparency. Notimposition. The designation at a whim," Bautista said after a meeting ofthe PRM executive commission.

He cited as an example, that the PRM won 31 of the 158mayoral posts in the past elections, allied with other parties, which he affirmsagreed on who will preside over the municipalities.

Bautista said to adopt any other decision could affectgovernance and in his view is a lack of democracy. "Therefore the mayor cannotdesignate who will chair and it must be up to the council members. That’s thegolden rule. Here what should be the golden rule has been distorted.”