Former President Joaquín Balaguer, the nonagenarian who is expected to decide the 2000 elections, said he would run for President on the party’s ticket, if the party so decides. He said that a national assembly has yet to be called to decide the issue. Polls indicate that Balaguer is the party’s strongest candidate. "The Party is whom knows what it is going to do. May I say that I am not in that disposition; that I am lending all my cooperation to the party now that I am in the last days of my life, cooperating with all the efforts to restructure and rescue the ranks of our party, especially to incorporate the young people," he said, responding to press inquiries as to whether he would be the PRSC presidential candidate. Since the party was founded in 1964, Balaguer has been its candidate on eight occasions. The only time he didn’t run for the party was in 1996, because he was Constitutionally impeded to do so. During those elections he did not give his support to the party’s candidate, former Vice President Jacinto Peynado, and in turn told his followers to vote for President Leonel Fernández. His support gave today President Leonel Fernández of the Partido de la Liberación Dominicana the victory Regarding whom he would support in the 2000 elections if his party does not win in the first round, he said: "One has to wait to listen to the circumstances and when these speak, these will be the deciding factors." Balaguer, the man who’s identification card under profession could well read "President of the Dominican Republic," has announced he will begin a series of cycle of televised talks on politics, economy and other national interests next week on Channel 5. President Balaguer was President under the Dictator Trujillo regime, and then was elected in 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1990 and 1994. Balaguer was interviewed during an act when he swore in Vitelio Mejía Ortiz as president of the Directorio Provincial del PRSC in the Peravia province.
