President Hipolito Mejia, as the Presidential candidate for the ruling PRD party, said on TV yesterday that his recent campaign moves had added 15 points to his ratings in voter preferences, claiming that his surveys now show him with 30% popularity. Both Penn & Schoen and Gallup polls ranked him with less than 15% in February and January canvassing. Mejia did not state which company had conducted the recent poll he was referring to. Mejia also claimed to be leading in 20 provinces.
Meanwhile, Eduardo Estrella continued to criticize the past government of Leonel Fernandez (PRD), retaking the “comesolo” (eat-alone) slogan that refers to the PLD’s reputation of keeping things for themselves. Estrella hopes to consolidate the vote of the PRSC and make it to a second round versus the pollsters’ most popular contender, Leonel Fernandez. Estrella has voiced confidence that he not Mejia would make it to the second round. He hopes to garner 30% of the vote in order to force a second round.
He is confident he would then secure the votes of PRD followers who are unlikely to vote for the PLD, and possibly win the Presidency. Estrella is campaigning in the company of Rafael Bello Andino, Amable Aristy Castro, Johnny Jones and Ramon Rogelio Genao.