The Partido de la Liberación Dominicana (PLD) resumed its political campaign, which had been suspended following the death of the leader of the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (PRD), Dr. José Francisco Peña Gómez. The PLD said it would postpone political gatherings until 14 May, the last day of the political campaign. The government decreed three days of mourning – 11, 12 and 13 May. The municipal and congressional elections will be held 16 May. Lidio Cadet, secretary general of the party, announced the party took that decision after the show of lack of respect and verbal aggressions from party members against President Leonel Fernández when he attended the Olympic Stadium to render his condolences to the relatives of Dr. Peña Gómez. "The climate of intolerance against our party brings us to abstain from participating in Dr. Peña Gómez’s burial ceremonies," said Cadet. Furthermore, he said, "The PRD is using Dr. Peña Gómez as profuse electoral propaganda; that is, they have not respected his death to place new ads on the TV. It is they, the PRD militants, who have not respected anything." The PRD is passing on radio and television a spot in which Peña says: "I love my people, my country. Throughout my life, I have paid a high price for that." "I have received ferocious attacks, sometimes head-on collisions, sometimes filled with subtle poison, like now." "But I forgive you. My adversaries can count on my pardon." President Joaquin Balaguer, of the Partido Reformista Social Cristiano, was also scheduled to resume his campaigning with visits to Bonao, La Vega, Moca and Santiago, in support of his party’s candidates.
