Waiting for Godoy

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

A weary Ellsworth Bunker, U.S. member of the OAS peace team in Santo Domingo, settled back in his not-so-easy chair. "This is a frustrating business," he said. "Some of these people are so difficult. They care more about their own political futures than about the good of the country." If that appraisal seemed harsh, it was at least understandable as tantalizing hope for settlement continued to alternate with delays at the conference table and petty provocations in the street.

Gunboat Diplomacy. The week started off brightly. General Antonio Imbert Barreras, leader of the loyalist forces, and Colonel Francisco Caamano Deno, commander of the rebel army entrenched in downtown Santo Domingo, were honoring the ceasefire. Both sides appeared close to an agreement on the choice of a man to head an interim government until elections can be held. He was Hector Garcia Godoy, 44, a middle-roading liberal who once served as Foreign Minister in the Cabinet of deposed President Juan Bosch.

Then things threatened to come unstuck again. Caamano agreed to permit an OAS tanker to enter the rebel-held harbor one afternoon and supply a city power plant. But behind the tanker came an unexpected junta gunboat, bristling with 3-in. artillery and .50-cal. machine guns. If the junta's intention was to provoke an incident, it failed. Caamano's troops held their fire, and the gunboat churned out of the harbor 45 minutes later. Next night, however, rebel troops started firing their rifles in the air, drawing fire from the junta side. For half an hour, the two camps blasted away fiercely at each other.

Impatient Heeler. The incidents did not appear to hinder OAS negotiations. Garcia Godoy campaigned around town like a practiced ward heeler, even began considering Cabinet members while waiting impatiently for the formal announcement of his appointment. As one OAS meeting followed another, Caamano seemed to back Garcia Godoy while Imbert continued to stall. The final choice may come next week--or next month. For all its frustration, the U.S. is still certain that it is now only a matter of time before both sides agree on a name.

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