A case that may have otherwise slid under the radar, but which received nationwide and international attention because government officials were overly zealous in protecting the image of their President and potential
presidential candidate, came to a happy conclusion yesterday. Both radio broadcasters jailed for casting aspersions on the office of the President Hip?lito Mej?a were hailed as heroes in Monte Cristi when they arrived there free on bail. Horacio
Emilio Lemoine and Carlos Mart?nez were arrested after staging a farcical poll which asked listeners to choose between a selection of presidential hopefuls and the Devil. When the audience voiced preference for the Devil over the actual incumbent
President by an overwhelming margin of 14 to 2, the local political authorities ordered the shutdown of the radio station and the arrests of the DJs, whose trial date has been set for next month.
Radio and TV commentators have generally held that the Office of the President is to be respected, but electoral candidates and pre-candidates are often targets of humor and hard criticisms. Since Hip?lito Mej?a is a pre-candidate, they consider him
to be fair game.