Dominican political parties do not seem to be much affected by the current economic crisis, having spent RD$46.5 million on publicity since September. Leonel Fernandez leads the way with RD$12 million spent on TV spots. The combined televised ad campaigns have cost the various candidates nearly one quarter of the RD$204 million allocated in the budget to the political parties. El Caribe says the money spent on TV advertisements is equivalent to 23,000 minimum wages, and only includes the television space, not the cost of producing the spots themselves. Strangely enough, the second place spender was Eduardo Estrella of the PRSC with RD$11 million, followed by Rafael Subervi with RD$7 million and the incumbent President Hipolito Mejia with RD$6 million. Presidential Press spokesman, Luis Gonzalez Fabra told El Caribe that the President does not have any campaign running on TV, explaining that the promotions are merely on his encounters in the provinces.