Omar Fernández assures that the DR is moving forward at a stable pace, although he criticizes foreign indebtedness. (Photo Miguel Cruz Tejada).
Asked about his diagnosis of the country’s outlook at the moment, he responded that it seems to him that the Dominican Republic is going at a stable pace in a country that obviously like any other in the midst of the pandemic is going through a complicated economic recovery, tourism, and an achievement to highlight has been the vaccination day which he thinks is on the right track.
“We have already seen how the National District, Pedernales, La Altagracia province are open because they exceed 70 percent,” added the son of former President Leonel Fernandez.
“In a general sense I see that the Dominican Republic is moving forward, something that worries me is the accelerated pace we are taking with the issue of indebtedness and that is something we should look at because it affects the health of the macro economy, and it is important to rethink the amount of loans we are taking on,” he said.
“Especially because if loans are going to be taken, they should be for priority issues such as the recovery of the economy, recovery of jobs, which is very important at this time and I think that should be the focus these days,” said Fernandez.
Speaking about the Falcon Operation in which several deputies and a congresswoman are implicated, he pointed out that it is a matter of justice.
“The Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) is the one who must present reliable evidence that indicates what their accusations are and I think that the political parties must play an important role by purging who their militants are, who they present as candidates to different positions and there is also the issue that when people go to register their candidacies they carry a paper of good conduct,” he pointed out.
“The Central Electoral Board and the Public Ministry must play a role of control, to know who is who before handing a paper of good conduct that proves an unblemished record and then something else is discovered,” he said.
He supported his father’s position opposing a constitutional modification to establish an independent Public Prosecutor’s Office, pointing out that the Public Prosecutor’s Office is independent because article 170 of the constitution establishes this independence in the functional, administrative and budgetary aspects.
“It already is,” he said.
He added that what must be done is to exercise that independence. “I believe that no one could say that Magistrate Miriam German is a person who is not independent like Yeny Berenice, and no one could allege that they respond to particular interests.”
He recalled that Attorney Germán was appointed by the Executive Branch.
“If you go to the case of France, you will see that the attorney general is appointed by the president, we are in the United States and here the attorney general is appointed by the president, but the same in Spain, so there is no perfect model. Countries adopt different ways of appointing the attorney general,” he explained.
He also referred to the proposals to prevent the vulgar and violent content of many reggaetones from continuing to be disseminated in the Dominican Republic, adding that the constitution enshrines the fundamental right of free expression so that no one can be restricted in their right to say the things they think the way they want to say them.
“Now, I am one of those who promote morality and civics, good conduct, correct values and in that sense I think that we must be tactful with some specific words that are said in some songs in some types of music,” he said.
Talking about a recent bill to ban alcoholic beverages in streets and parks in the Dominican Republic, Omar responded that he does not know in detail this bill and must study it in depth.
-The presidency?
“No, no… I am thinking about the presidency for Leonel Fernandez at the moment and concentrating on the deputation, he answered when asked if he has presidential aspirations in the future.”
