The president of the PRD party, Hatuey de Camps, received 72% of the vote in the first ruling party primary held, yesterday. With the first bulletin issued at 11pm last night, and 6.8% of the votes counted, De Camps was down for 26,749 of the votes. Next was former PRD senator for Santiago Jose Rafael Abinader with 5,196 votes, and in third place was former president of the Senate Ramon Alburquerque with 5,054 votes. A second PRD convention is scheduled for next Sunday, 14 December, this time to include the participation of President Hipolito Mejia and his top contenders, Vice-President Milagros Ortiz Bosch and former Minister of Tourism Rafael (Fello) Subervi. It will be up to the Central Electoral Board (JCE) to decide the validity of the conventions and the candidates chosen. According to electoral law, no party can present two candidates in an election.
Party spokesman, Rafael Gamundi Cordero told CDN news service that more than 450,000 party members voted in the convention. De Camps is a vociferous opponent to President Mejia seeking re-election.