According to Clave Digital news services, the Press Department of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) denied today recent news accounts attributed to Radio Kiskeya; the Haitian-based radio station reported that the mission's chief-field official vacationed in the Dominican Republic the last days of December 2005 at the premiere resort Casa de Campo.*

MINUSTAH's Press Department stated that Chilean Juan Gabriel Valdés -the chief official- remained in the Dominican Republic for less than four hours including time spent with his host, the Dominican President Leonel Fernández. 

Presidential sources had already disclosed that the meeting took place at a villa owned by the Dominican Ministry of Foreign affairs within the luxurious location. Meeting took place by initiative of the Dominican President.

* R.V. Casa de Campo is a well-known location described as suitable for playing, pampering, relaxing and rejuvenating.

His name is Eduardo Jorge Prats*. Here, Clave Digital makes a good work quoting him on why he considered the Supreme Court of Justice of the Dominican Republic to have abdicated; the quote

What is worse, our Highest Tribunal of justice abdicates on its role of custodian of the Constitution when it legitimates that the Legislative Branch may interpret to its will the Constitution, by defining -capriciously constitutional terminology and concepts

He compared the situation with that of the Legislative Branch proceeding to unduly ground the concept of prior restraint and censorship - a subject matter of freedom of expression, embodied in the Dominican Constitution. [hypothetical]

According to the source, he also expressed concern about how the Supreme Court opinion may expose the Dominican Republic to face international reprehension.

* [Red as an indicator of his first name; blue for both -common usage- of his last names; here, Jorge, the last name, is not to be mistaken with Jorge, a first name which is very common in Spanish, like Pedro, Miguel, José and Juan.]

Eduardo Jorge Prats, an expert in Constitutional Law, criticized the Supreme Court opinion. Some considerations credited to him by Listín Diario, under the title The Supreme Court of Justice Abdicated advance that:

The international concept of people in transit does not include those found illegally in a national territory.

The concept of people in transit is limited to people who are indeed in transit, and excludes those foreigners who have established themselves in the territory.

As a general principle, the Court's ruling cannot be applied retroactively.

Several sources in the Dominican Republic have editorialized on the subject of the Supreme Court's ruling. Pay attention to all, but special attention to the last source

El Nacional, although generally in favor of the ruling, states in its closing editorial paragraph

It is wished that the juridical, political and social effects of such opinion are applied with wisdom, humanitarianism and a sense of opportunity.

Diario Libre, more than taking sides recognizes an extraordinary relevance to the opinion, and states in its closing editorial paragraph

The opinion, without a doubt, will be object of controversy and actions up to international courts, but clarifies a situation which will find its last resort in a constitutional reform.

Clave Digital, criticizes key aspects of the opinion; namely what it calls a literal interpretation of the Dominican Constitution amidst a lack of definition of who is to be considered a person in transit. Some excerpts from its editorial follow

Is it alright to understand that a family of immigrants of 30 or 40 years of residency in the country -albeit illegally- is "in transit"? ...

Transit to where and with what purposes? ...

It seems obvious that in light of this newly-born jurisprudence by the Supreme Court, it would be extremely difficult, maybe impossible, to collate what is fair with what is merely, technically legal, especially if we continue tied to the literal reading of the normative of reference and persist to leave undefined the key concepts of our findings.

 

[ Each of these is a non-official, yet accurate translation to my best knowledge and understanding; I have done it under a fair use consideration, including newsworthiness, historical value, size of the original work, size of the derivative -translation- work, lack of actual impact on the current market exploited by the copyright owner and no well-founded reason to know -or to believe- that the owner will enter any derivative markets outside the original language. These are only small excerpts not to replace the original work, which is found in Spanish only. Captioned to promote copyright and fair use awareness. Not a legal advice. ]

It has been subject to discussion if Guy Philippe took part in the latest violent actions during the Dominican President's visit to Haiti. Some sources reported he had been the organizer. In response, Philippe called a Dominican radio station to say he was indeed a supporter of the protest, that he was present at the time, yet that he was not to be held responsible of its violent outcomes.

You may click on BBCNEWS or answers.com for Philippe's profile and his previous stay in the Dominican Republic.