Adriano Miguel Tejada, the editor of Diario Libre newspaper, writes today that what clinched the victory of Leonel Fernandez in the recent election was that President Mejia did not respect the dignity of the Dominican people. ?People can tolerate all sins, as long as their dignity is respected,? he writes. Whereas he said a Balaguer model of government would have put the blame on an underling, President Mejia left no room for doubt and became responsible for all acts, even defending what was indefensible, he writes. He says that the only uncertainty on 16 May stemmed from the fear that the government would not relinquish power. ?That is why, with the smallest degree of suspicion that a thief was lurking, the people reacted in the voice of one of its most representative spokesmen.?
In his commentary, Tejada also points out that only the blind could not have foreseen a victory for Leonel Fernandez. ?The two administrations could not be compared and it was not a matter of material works, but of the intentions behind those works. Those of Leonel, whether many or few, did not matter at the time because they sought to change the country. Be it by turning Santo Domingo into a modern city, or by leveling the playing field between public and private school children by way of computers and school breakfasts. The intention was evident. It is clear he made errors that people hope will not be repeated, but as he said in his goodbye speech on 14 August 2000, he led a ?decent? government, without mistreating anyone.