With a year to end his term, President Danilo Medina announced at 9pm on Monday, 22 July 2019 that he would not run for President in 2020. He would not push for constitutional reform to change the transitory clause that impedes him from being the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) candidate in the 2020 general elections. Medina kept the country on edge for months, with his followers repeatedly announcing the National Assembly for Constitution Revision would be convened. It didn’t happen.
While Medina followers dominate in the political and central committees that control the ruling PLD, manage the National Budget and the Supreme Court, it is apparent now that they did not have the votes in the Chamber of Deputies to reverse the ban that would allow him to seek a new term in office. In his ambition to continue in power, Medina met with strong opposition from the president of the PLD party, former President Leonel Fernández.
For over a year, most polls have shown that a majority of Dominicans reject constitutional reform. A July Asisa Research poll shows 77% rejection to constitutional reform. Likewise, opposition has escalated and protest marches are gathering followers.
“When I reach the end of my second term and leave the Presidency, I want to go out on the streets and walk like another citizen,” said Medina. He advocated that the PLD campaign inject new blood into Dominican politics. “I, therefore, trust that we will witness a clean campaign based on proposals and that injects new blood into political life,” said Medina. The President called for business people to trust the economy and maintain stability.
This is the last week of the legislature. An article in Diario Libre makes the point that the intense political activism affected the legislature. Three days before the closing of the legislature, only four bills had been passed, despite a long list of priority bills.
The deadline for the registration of candidates with the Central Electoral Board (JCE) is 22 August 2019.
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Presidencia
N Digital
Z101
El Dia
Diario Libre
El Dia
Diario Libre
23 July 2019