A national survey conducted by the US polling firm Greenberg Quinlan
Rosner Research showed that 18% of potential voters favor the
re-election of President Mejia, with a margin of error of +/- 3%. 79%
of the likely voters polled were against his re-election. The survey
was commissioned by the seven PRD pre-candidates who oppose Mejia?s bid
for a second consecutive term of office.
The poll sought out the opinions of 1,300 likely voters and took place
on 11-17 September. The questions posed were: ?Are you in favor or
against the re-election of Hipolito Mejia in 2004?? and ?Are you in
favor or against the re-election of a President??
PRD party leader Hugo Tolentino Dipp, who was Minister of Foreign
Relations in the Mejia administration until he resigned over
differences regarding the country?s support of the war in Iraq, doubts
that President Mejia has sufficient real support. ?Being in power
provides the resources for re-election. I do not know how far they will
go, whether [Mejia] will re-elect himself the way Doctor Balaguer used
to, because it is hard for me to think he could be re-elected if not by
fraud, or through violence or methods lacking logic.?
Mark Feierstein, associate vice-president of the US polling firm, says
that the survey showed that approximately 55% of the Dominican
population is against the notion of re-election ? for any President.
In a press conference, Enmanuel Esquea Guerrero, speaking for the seven
who oppose Mejia?s selection as the party?s presidential candidate,
confirmed that they would go ahead and hold a plebiscite on 12 October
among party members to determine a consensus on the issue of
re-election. ?
The PPH faction that supports President Hipolito Mejia?s bid for
re-election opposes the plebiscite on grounds that none of the leaders
of the party were queried as to whether they were in agreement.