President Hipolito Mejia, campaigning on distributing state assets or at least promises of something for everyone, has gained popularity with the Dominican Republic?s poor, according to a comparison made in the most recent Gallup poll. Mejia has been delivering state land, promises of motorcycles and more. Some times these promises are conditioned to his being reelected, other times the goods are delivered to commit influential persons and their families to vote for him in the May election ? and the Gallup poll shows that people have been buying in. President Mejia is dedicating himself fully to promoting his re-election ambitions after garnering the support of fellow-PRD leader Rafael Subervi Bonilla and neutralizing the Presidential aspirations of Vice-President Milagros Ortiz Bosch, who, while not campaigning for Mejia, is not campaigning against him, either.
As reported in Diario Libre, the DL-Gallup poll shows that since February, Mejia has gained considerably. April?s Gallup poll shows his support rising from 14.9% in February to 28.5% among the poorest segments. Mejia has also gained popularity with the middle class, advancing from 12.6% in February to 21.6% support in April. The wealthy are not buying his promises, however, with whom he has increased his support by a meager 1.7%.
Diario Libre reports that the reverse seems to be true of frontrunner Leonel Fernandez. The popularity of the former President, running on the PLD ticket, declined from 62.9% to 53.5% among the poor and from 66.1% to 60.1% among the middle class. Support for Fernandez among the wealthy increased from 58.5% to 66%.
The third candidate, Eduardo Estrella of the PRSC, has seen his popularity stagnate. Political analysts say that Estrella?s votes are more likely to go to Fernandez than to Mejia if more Dominicans perceive the election can be concluded in a first round.
While Mejia?s something-for-everyone campaign strategy is gaining, he is still way behind Fernandez. The April poll shows Fernandez leading 54.8% over Mejia?s 27.1% of Mejia and Estrella?s 14.4%. There are 23 days to go until the 16 May election.