INTEC makes dialogue with Hipólito Mejía

Santo Domingo. The candidate of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), Hipólito Mejía, was the first to head this Wednesday, February 8, the “INTEC Dialogues with 2012 presidential candidates” organized by the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC).

The first meeting of the three-day series with the representatives of the major political parties of the country brought together managers, students, teachers and guests in a close dialogue with the former president of the Republic.

The participants raised to the candidate their concerns about their government proposal, in case of being the winner in the next presidential elections of the country, the 20 of May of this year.

In his interventions, Mejía emphasized the work he plans to do in the education sector from his government. "Within our plans is the creation of a financing bag so that the poorest can complete their university studies," said the candidate who also explained that one of the strategies of his government will promote the talent of young people by opening internship spaces financed by the State.

He also expressed that in order to achieve great changes in the current society, we must start working from the family: "The Dominican family has lost its ideals, its spirituality and respect for its members, we are experiencing the greatest moral crisis ever seen In our country".

At the end of the dialogue, Hipólito Mejía congratulated the initiative of the directors of INTEC in carrying out these meetings, which he described as a democratic, useful and important exercise for the entire community.

Among the special guests in this first dialogue was a commission of three children representing the 140 students of the Education for Thinking project of the Fray Ramón Pané Basic School. It seeks to improve students' skills in science, mathematics and Spanish with classes that integrate the environment and engineering, as well as providing them with a macro view of what they can achieve in the future by transmitting aspects of other cultures.

For his part, the rector of INTEC, Rolando M. Guzman, stressed that in these elections society needs to enrich the political debate on national issues. "It is for this reason that we wanted to bring to a first direct meeting with the university community political leaders to share their vision, with a dynamic based on questions, mainly on issues of higher education," said Guzman.

The event was held in the Sala Julio Ravelo de la Fuente of the university library and was transmitted simultaneously in the Auditorium García de la Concha.

The meetings with the academic community will continue on Monday 13 in February with the participation of Max Puig, Alliance for Democracy (APD) and conclude on Wednesday 15, with the candidate of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Danilo Medina.

The three candidates represent the parties that obtained the most votes in the last presidential elections of 2008, and that to date had held their primaries.

Each of the dialogues has live broadcast through www.livestream.com/intec

Profile of Hipólito Mejía

The 22 of 1941 was born in Gurabo, Santiago de los Caballeros. He is the first child of the marriage formed by Hipólito de Jesús Mejía Díaz and María Josefa Domínguez.

When finished primary and secondary education in Santiago de los Caballeros. He moved to San Cristóbal to study Agronomy at the Instituto Politécnico Loyola, where he graduated in the 1962 year. Two years later, he moved to the University of North Carolina, USA, to continue higher education in his professional area. He has done a variety of courses on management, administration and agro-industry.

With just 24 years old, he was appointed director of the Tobacco Institute, with the rank of sub-secretary of state. Years later, at 1978, President Antonio Guzmán named him Secretary of State for Agriculture and coordinator of the entire agricultural sector. I only had 37 years old. During this period, laws to encourage agro-industry were introduced and the broadest program was launched to promote rural development and the modernization of agriculture.

Milita in the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) from 1976, initially as director of the Agricultural Front until reaching 1982 the status of vice president of the organization and from 1983 as a member of the Political Commission. Mejía has had as mentors the President Antonio Guzmán and Dr. José Francisco Peña Gómez. In 1982, he was nominated for Senator for Santiago and in 1990, he was elected candidate for the Vice-Presidency accompanying the candidate of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD).

The disappearance of José Francisco Peña Gómez determined the personal plans of Hipólito Mejía, who announced his presidential candidacy. The 20 of June of 1999 the PRD, under the organic presidency of Emmanuel Esquea Guerrero, celebrated the internal election of which Mejía was proclaimed candidate with more than 80% of the votes. He was declared the absolute winner over four contenders.

The 16 of May of the 2000 was elected constitutional president of the Republic with the 49.9% of the total vote and initiated to its mandate the 16 of August of the same year, until 2004.