The Political Committee of the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) in conjunction with their Electoral Committee will carry out opinion polls to measure the popularity of mayoral candidates within the next 10 days in order to decide who the candidates will be for the May elections in 2016. A credible source said that the next meeting of the Political Committee would choose the company that would carry out the fieldwork with each candidate’s profile. This means that before the month is over, the different mayoral candidates for the PLD, Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) and Reformist Party (PRSC) would be known.
In a signed agreement between the PLD and PRD, the leaders of both parties approved a policy in which the PRD could nominate 43 deputies and 20 mayors who are currently in their positions with support from the PLD. However, in the case of the mayors, there would first be will an opinion poll carried out of the PRD incumbents to see what the electorate thinks of their performance as mayor and whether they have the best chance of winning the election.
For example, in Santo Domingo north, the current mayor is Francisco Fernandez of the PRD, but running against him is the PRD deputy Virgilio Meran, who would assure victory for his party and the PLD.
Also PLD deputies, Rene Polanco and Carlos Guzman, are also interested in running for mayor and both have said they are leading in previous opinion polls and say the Fernandez’ administration has been a disaster.
In Santo Domingo west, PLD deputy Radhames Gonzalez wants to be mayor, replacing the current PLD mayor, Francis Pena.
Santiago is another place where there is a major fight among members of the PRD who want to be mayor with Geovanny Tejeda and Ramon Rodriguez, both PRD loyalists, wanting to oust current PLD mayor Giberto Serulle.
PLD Secretary General, Reinaldo Pared Perez, has said that this week the PLD will receive the counter proposals to the electoral alliance between the PRD and PRSC in order to agree on the candidates.