Political analyst Rosario Espinal is calling the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) the “last of the Mohicans” of the traditional parties system that has dominated in the country after the fall of Dictator Trujillo in the 60s. She said that the party could suffer the same fate as the other two traditional parties – the PRSC and the PRD. These have languished with electoral results of around 5%, down from being the dominating political party with upwards of 40% of the vote.
She alerted that the present crisis in the PLD could weaken the party. Espinal conjectured the way the party is going all the members will be able to fit inside a small meeting hall of a hotel. The PLD members are divided over whether to hold open primaries, with former President Leonel Fernandez opposing these, and President Danilo Medina in favor. The 2015 Constitution does not allow Medina to run again for re-election.
Espinal, nevertheless, acknowledges that a division of the PLD at this time would not weaken it enough for another party to win the next presidential election because among the opposition there is not a party with enough power to move the pendulum and win the election.
She said a local economic crisis is needed to displace the PLD. But Espinal explained that international conditions are in the country’s favor at the present time; the economy of the US is growing, with very low unemployment, and tourism is at an all-time high in the country.
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Diario Libre
13 December 2017
