And of the 28 firms that are contracted to complete the Supreme Court of Justice, only two are working because the Ministry of Public Works has not been paying them since September. News reports attribute the lull to the hiring binge the government went on expecting a windfall from the new tax laws. Instead, the new taxes further constrained the economy, and the money didn't come in as expected. As the new personnel could not be fired, disbursements for public works have been significantly reduced and in many cases totally paralyzed. Gallup poll shows 21 point drop in Mejia government popularity The Mejia administration dropped 21 points in popularity from the February Rumbo Magazine-Gallup poll to the present poll.
Women are the most pessimistic, as the higher cost of living affects their household budgets.
The Gallup poll, published in Rumbo Magazine this week, says the President's personal image remains good among Dominicans, despite the generally negative perception about his management of the economy. Mejia, though, does not score high in citizens perception of his ability as a leader. In the National District, the poll showed the PRD is losing political pull as a result of the economic problems. The PRD loss is the PLD's and PRSC's gain. Case against former President discarded The coordinator of First Instance courts of the National district, Judge Enrique Marchena, has thrown out the case against former President Leonel Fernandez and several cabinet members who were accused of fraud in the privatization of the Dominican Electricity Corporation.