Technical Secretary of the Presidency, Temístocles Montás, who is a leading member of the Partido de la Liberación Dominicana (PLD) political committee, said that the presidential candidate of the PRD met last week with former president Joaquin Balaguer. Balaguer is the leading of the Partido Reformista Social Cristiano (PRSC) and surveys say he controls enough votes to make the difference in a first or second round of the presidential election. Montás said that Hipólito Mejía, the PRD presidential candidate, entered the Máximo Gómez home of the 93-year old former statesman camouflaged and by the back door to go undetected. Nothing concrete has been reported about the outcome of the meeting. But the press has been speculating that they discussed a PRSC man replacing PRD vice presidential candidate Milagros Ortíz Bosch. The names of Luis Toral, former governor of the Central Bank, and José Hazim, present senator for San Pedro de Macorís are mentioned as two possible options. Political analysts say that Balaguer could be interested in an alliance with the PRD in order to prevent that party from taking former PRSC government officers to court for corruption in office. When Balaguer returned to office in 1986, after eight years of PRD government, he fostered the taking to court of former President Salvador Jorge Blanco and several PRD government officers. In 1996, Balaguer pacted with the PLD to avoid the PRD returning to power. Most polls show that the PRD will win the presidency in the year 2000 election. Hipólito Mejía has not commented on the visit. But acting president of the PRD,Tony Raful told the press that the PRD presidential candidate is authorized to visit the former statesman whenever he pleases.
