Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Senate (Senado): elections last held 16 May 1994 (next to be held May
1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (30 total) PRSC
15, PLD 1, PRD 14
Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados): elections last held 16 May
1994 (next to be held May 1998); results - percent of vote by party
NA; seats - (120 total) PLD 13, PRSC 50, PRD 57
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Political parties and leaders:
major parties: Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), Joaquin
BALAGUER Ricardo; Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), (vacant following
retirement of Juan BOSCH Gavino); Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD),
Jose Franciso PENA Gomez; Independent Revolutionary Party (PRI),
Jacobo MAJLUTA
minor parties: National Veterans and Civilian Party (PNVC), Juan Rene
BEAUCHAMPS Javier; Liberal Party of the Dominican Republic (PLRD),
Andres Van Der HORST; Democratic Quisqueyan Party (PQD), Elias WESSIN
Chavez; National Progressive Force (FNP), Marino VINICIO Castillo;
Popular Christian Party (PPC), Rogelio DELGADO Bogaert; Dominican
Communist Party (PCD), Narciso ISA Conde; Dominican Workers' Party
(PTD), Ivan RODRIGUEZ; Anti-Imperialist Patriotic Union (UPA), Ignacio
RODRIGUEZ Chiappini; Alliance for Democracy Party (APD), Maximilano
Rabelais PUIG Miller, Nelsida MARMOLEJOS, Vicente BENGOA; Democratic
Union (UD), Fernando ALVAREZ Bogaert
note: in 1983 several leftist parties, including the PCD, joined to
form the Dominican Leftist Front (FID); however, they still retain
individual party structures
Other political or pressure groups: Collective of Popular Organzations
(COP), leader NA
Member of: ACP, CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM
(guest), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jose del Carmen ARIZA Gomez
chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280
FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mayaguez (Puerto
Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and
San Juan (Puerto Rico)
consulate(s): Charlotte Amalie (Virgin Islands), Detroit, Houston,
Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Mobile, and Ponce (Puerto Rico)
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Donna Jean HRINAK embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo mailing address: Unit 5500, Santo Domingo; APO AA 34041 telephone: [1] (809) 541-2171, 8100 FAX: [1] (809) 686-7437
Flag: a centered white cross that extends to the edges, divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red, the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms is at the center of the cross
@Dominican Republic:Economy
Overview: The Dominican economy showed some signs of slippage in 1994, although its overall performance in recent years has been relatively strong. After posting an increase of nearly 8% in 1992, GDP growth fell to 3% in 1993 and 1994 as mining output decreased and erosion of real wages caused private consumption to decline. A pre-election boost in government spending in early 1994 led to the first government deficit in four years and bumped inflation up to 14% for the year. Continued dynamism in construction and the services sector, especially tourism, should keep the economy growing in 1995. Tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing for export remain key sectors of the economy. Domestic industry is based on the processing of agricultural products, oil refining, and chemicals.