DOMESTIC POLITICS: The government of the president, Leonel Fernandez of the Partido de la Liberacion Dominicana (PLD), will face growing popular discontent during the outlook period, as a severe economic downturn fuels public anger with inadequate public services, government corruption and wasteful spending. The administration also faces the challenges of dealing with an energy crisis and financing current-account and fiscal deficits amid difficult external conditions. Economic crisis management will keep the government focused on short-term issues, and structural reforms needed to improve the functioning of the energy sector and government bureaucracy will be piecemeal and inadequate. As the economy deteriorates and problems with the provision of basic services, such as healthcare and electricity, persist in the outlook period, protest and social unrest will increase. However, the Economist Intelligence Unit expects the government of Mr Fernandez (still a broadly popular figure) to maintain control through the rest of its term, owing in no small part to the deficiencies of the opposition.

Source: Dominican Republic: Country outlook

Source: Country Forecast Dominican Republic July 2008

Source: EIU Country Data