BALAGUER GIVES PAPER CONCESSION TO DOMINICAN DEPUTIES
Santo Domingo
President Balaguer conceded on the guarantees demanded by the legislators of the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano [PRD] as a condition for their returning to the legislature.
The demands of the legal opposition were:
(1) Creation of an atmosphere of absolute democratic rights for all citizens, political parties and trade-union organizations.
(2) The right to make radio broadcasts in the country so that the democratic parties and trade-union organizations are able to obtain time for their programs without any kind of pressure being exerted as a result against the enterprises that sell them timé on the air.
(3) Guarantees likewise for the rights of the Constitutionalists in the army and their reintegration in the regular armed forces.
The PRD deputies returned to their seats in the legislature.
Nevertheless, three leaders of the revolutionary June 14 movement were arrested May 26 at Agua, a city west of Santo Domingo, upon returning from the capital.
Various organizations and the family of a former second lieutenant, a Constitutionalist, who was arrested and beaten by the police May 25, are afraid that he may have been killed.
Although the police deny it, the Movimiento Popular Dominicano, the Partido Comunista Dominicano and the wife of the arrested man state that he was arrested.
The PCD declares that the agents who seized the former Constitutionalist fighter belonged to the secret service of the police.
The MPD says that Valera Portes "disappeared mysteriously and none of the police headquarters will indicate where he is being held."
In Villa Gonz4lez, in the suburbs of Santiago, the second largest city in the country, a youth was arrested for passing out leaflets for the PCD.
In addition, a circular issued by the Asociacién Dominicana de Abogados [Dominican Lawyers Association] holds that the change introduced into the law
-602-
on habeas corpus represents a "dictato-
rial situation.
The circular indicates that "be-
cause there is no assurance that human
rights are guaranteed, still less a sep-
aration of powers, we are confronted
practically with a dictatorial regime and
lack a constitution."
COST OF