The president-elect of the Dominican Association of Public School Teachers (ADP) Xiomara Guante is questioning the delays in the electoral commission of the elections releasing the final vote count. The election took place on Wednesday, 10 October 2018. The ADP is the largest union in the country, with around 110,000 members.
On Friday, 12 October 2018, the ruling party PLD candidate in the election, Eduardo Hidalgo admitted his defeat, and that he did not get the votes to be reelected. Despite being the ruling party candidate, he did not have the favor of Education Minister Andres Navarro. Hidalgo opposed the merit-based election of new regional directors lead by Navarro. Hidalgo had been in the position for six years. It has also been said that many who favor the dissident faction of former President Leonel Fernandez in the PLD voted in favor of Guante.
“Actually, we all know the results,” said Guante speaking on the Huchi Lora and Amelia Deschamp El Dia talk show on Monday, 15 October. “They were duly reviewed by everyone, that’s why our competitor admitted the victory of the change,” she said.
She observed her supporters were in minority within the union, but now they will have a say in the positions and objectives of the ADP.
She said the faction backing ruling PLD party candidate, Eduardo Hidalgo, already has recognized its defeat. Guante said she expects the electoral commission to make public the numbers, even if they are still preliminary, so the ADP “can turn the page of its elections and elected officials can dedicate themselves to organize their work agenda.”
She said the priority of her presidency will be to improve the quality of public school education. She said the Ministry of Education also needs to take on the commitment of less propaganda and more effective changes in educational practices.
Guante had the backing of the largest opposition party, the PRM, and the minority parties Dominican Communist Labor Party (PC) and Frente Amplio.
Read more in Spanish:
Diario Libre
El Dia
16 October 2018
