ASISA Research Group released findings of a March poll on Tuesday 26 March that shows that former President Leonel Fernández of the PLD leads in popularity with 47% acceptance, followed by Luis Abinader, from the Revolutionary Modern Party (PRM), who would garner 39% if the elections scheduled for May 2020 were held on the day of the survey. Of the 1, 205 respondents who were polled between 15 and 17 March 2019, 6% said they would not vote for any candidate and 5% abstained from answering.
The question they were asked was open: they were simply asked which candidate they would vote for, without being given a list. In the case of the PRM, among those who said they were party members, Abinader was the favorite with 79%, followed by former President Hipólito Mejía with 15%, his daughter Carolina Mejía with 4%, and National District Mayor David Collado with 2%.
Those who said they would vote in the PLD primaries, 56% said they would vote, another 20% said probably not but maybe yes, and 24% said they would not vote.
Of those who said they would vote in the 6 October 2019 primaries, 36% said they would vote for Leonel Fernández, 29% for President Danilo Medina, 14% for Vice President Margarita Cedeño, and 2% for Santiago Mayor Abel Martínez. Other PLD pre-candidates, senate president Reynaldo Pared Pérez, former Environment Minister Francisco Domínguez Brito, former Education Minister Andrés Navarro, former Economy Minister Temístocles Montas, and former Interior & Police Minister Carlos Amarante Baret, each had 1%. 22% did not respond to pollsters.
Looking at other issues, 54% felt that the country was going in the wrong direction, with 42% saying it was going in the right direction and 6% did not answer.
Corruption was seen as the main problem in the country with 36%, followed by citizen safety 17%, unemployment 12%, high prices for essential products 5%, and control of Haitian immigration with 5%.
When it comes to the current government, 44% approved and 54% did not. The most negative perception came from Greater Santo Domingo, with 59% disapproval and the East with 57%.
President Medina was seen as positive by 56%. The most positive acts by the current government were seen as education with 59%, 911 system with 18%, surprise visits 9%, and new construction works 5%.
The negative aspects were seen as corruption within the government with 26%, following by inefficient officials staying being kept in their posts with 20%, lack of control of the cost of the consumer family basket with 13%, out of control crime with 10%, and immigration policy 9%.
73% of those polled rejected that the 2015 Constitution be amended to enable the second reelection of President Danilo Medina. 23% favored doing this. 4% did not respond to the question.
The poll has a plus/minus 3% margin of error.
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Asisa Research
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27 March 2019