The ruling PRD party is unmistakably divided in two factions – the PPH (that supports President Mejia’s re-election aspirations) and the non-PPH (that groups the other seven pre-candidates for the presidential nomination and their followers).
The non-PPH supporters, led by party president Hatuey de Camps and party secretary general Rafael Subervi Bonilla, have called for a plebiscite to be held on 12 October to allow members of the party to vote on whether the party backs the re-election of President Mejia. The results of the plebiscite would not bind the party legally in any way, but would serve as gauge of opinion on whether party members favor the continuation of Mejia’s government.
The PPH faction promoting Mejia’s re-election and President Hipolito Mejia himself, however, oppose the plebiscite. President Mejia, while in Spain, responded to the announcement of the plebiscite by offering to eliminate the second round from the PRD convention. He proposed that the candidate to receive the most votes should become the PRD’s official candidate. The PPH has announced their primaries for 23 November.
The non-PPH bloc has suggested the party convention take place on 2 November, shortly after the plebiscite. For their part, PPH followers have said they would boycott the plebiscite.