Dominican elections chief says US envoy had pressed him before

Santo Domingo.- Central Electoral Board (JCE) president RobertoRosario on Thursday said US ambassador James Brewster had pressure him in thepast, including threats of revoking his US visa.

He said he has never failed to make a decision under pressureand, on the contrary, when he feels pressed over his position, he usuallystiffens, his stance.

The official noted however that that "pricklyrelations" with the US embassy have already been surmounted. "It wasthe institutional weakness of the Board that led to diplomatic delegations frequentlythinking they had more authority than the electoral entity."

"It was the electoral entity that prior to issuing abulletin, it didn’t do so until the US ambassador or a dignitary, or a churchor business leader previously came, so I don’t blame him. I think we, as aninstitution, have allowed that, but now we are at a time when the institutionhas grown," Rosario said, interviewed on the Z101FM morning radio program ina special broadcast from the Electoral Board.