Julio Marínez, aspirant to the candidacy for mayor of Santo Domingo on the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (PRD) ballot for the May 1998 municipal election, reiterated that he won the primaries held to choose the PRD candidate. Engineer Maríñez released to the press a letter he addressed to PRD leader, Dr. José Francisco Peña Gómez, dated 28 December, where he sustains that the Comisión de Postulaciones that was in charge of recounting the votes cast during the primary, determined that he won 38,959 votes versus 38,660 of Miguel Vargas and 35,681 of Eligio Vásquez. The releasing of the letter to the press was Maríñez’s response to Dr. Peña Gómez’s decision to self-proclaim himself the candidate to mayor of the party. Maríñez accused the secretary general of the PRD, licenciado Hatuey Decamps, of trying to force the celebration of complementary elections. Decamps endorsed Miguel Vargas in the primary. When Maríñez did not accept participation in the complementary election, Dr. Peña Gómez announced he would be the candidate for mayor of Santo Domingo in order to avoid a division of the party. A poll held in the Listín Diario showed respondents do not approve of Peña Gomez’s decision to run for mayor. Of the 2,368 persons who called, 66.6% said that the Peña’s decision was incorrect.
