The Central Electoral Board was the scene of tension and accusations last night and a very slow count of the votes. At 6:30 in the afternoon, the JCE posted its Bulletin number 0 in order to check the communications links with the local Election Boards. JCE president Luis Arias told the country that the voting process was developing along normal lines, in spite of the incidents in Barahona and Villa Altagracia. He also mentioned the problems caused by the heavy rains in some areas.
Well into the night, the JCE still had not given out any partial results, and after some of the judges had held large press conferences the first bulletin fell way short of what the country was expecting. The tension mounted. Shortly before this, Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado, in his role as the head of the Electoral Follow Up Commission, gave a ringing speech from the JCE headquarters, warning against any ?perverse attempt to corrupt? the voting process.
Backed by well-known faces of several ambassadors, Monsignor Nunez was stern in his call for ?the highest authorities to respect and to do everything possible not to stain the good example that the citizens? have given. The prelate even called on the followers of the President to respect their leader?s words: ?No matter who wins, he that wins, wins.? Pointing out the presence of so many international observers as ?preventive measure?, Agripino called out to images of the Founding Fathers, saying ?this country has accepted democracy, and nothing and nobody will make us leave this system, therefore, in the name of the founders of the Republic, that founded it in the august name of the Holy Trinity, and put in the center of the national shield Liberty and the Fatherland surrounded by the name of God, and this Liberty that the people have used today to cast their vote, may not be violated by anyone, because this would be a sacrilege.?
A short time later, President Mejia conceded his electoral defeat. Even then, the JCE had not released the second bulletin. Some observers said that it was because nobody wanted to be the bearers of the bad news, much like the king with the invisible cloak.