A poll carried out by Zogby Strategies from 13 to 15 June 2019 says that if the 6 October 2019 primaries were held with the participation of the two PLD leaders, President Danilo Medina and former President Leonel Fernández, the results would be: 47.2% for Fernández and 36.9% for Medina. Others receiving votes would be 6.2% for Vice President Margarita Cedeño (wife of Leonel Fernández), 2.9% for former Environment Minister Francisco Domínguez Brito, and 1% apiece for former Interior & Police Minister Carlos Amarante Baret and former Education Minister Andrés Navarro. Senate president Reinaldo Pared Pérez would receive 0.3%. Other pre-candidates, Temístocles Montás, Manuel Crespo and Radhamés Segura would receive 0.2% each of the vote. The 2015 Constitution needs to be amended to enable President Danilo Medina to run for a third term.
Meanwhile, the same poll says that regarding the largest opposition party, the PRM, pre-candidate Luis Abinader has 79.5% of the preferences, compared to 10% for former President Hipólito Mejía, and 5.5% for Santo Domingo Mayor David Collado.
The poll says that in the case of former President Leonel Fernández being the PLD candidate in the 2020 general election, he would win over most likely PRM candidate, Luis Abinader, 50% to 36%. Fernández would receive 51-26% if Hipólito Mejía is the PRM candidate.
When those polled were asked for whom they would vote, independently of the political party, 31.3% were in favor of Abinader, while Medina and Fernández each scored 30.3%. 6.2% said they would not vote, and 1.9% did not reply. This scenario means a second round of voting would be necessary since the electoral law requires 50% + 1 vote for a win.
Regarding the political party of their preference, 56% said it was the ruling PLD party. The government is the country’s leading employer. Next was the leading opposition party, the PRM, with 28.5%, followed by the PRD, a PLD ally, with 3.1%. The PRSC, also a long time PLD ally, registered 1.3%. 10.2% said they had no political party preferences.
The Zogby Strategies poll indicated that 80% of Dominicans eligible to vote understand the 2015 Constitution bans Medina from running for a third term. When asked if they were in agreement with a constitutional amendment to enable Medina to run again, 68% said they are opposed to amending the Constitution to open doors for a second Medina reelection. 53% said that changing the Constitution could bring negative consequences for the country.
Dominicans said that citizen security is the most pressing problem in the country (23%).
For the 13-15 June 2019 poll, 1,206 persons were surveyed. The poll has a margin of error of 2.37%.
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Listin Diario
26 June 2019