The Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE) declared on Tuesday, 6 August 2019 of extreme urgency an instance that seeks to suspend the registration of the presidential candidacies of Leonel Fernández, for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), and Hipólito Mejía, for the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM).
The review is set for Wednesday, 7 August at 10:30am, said Román Jáquez Liranzo, president of the TSE. It is now known that lawyer Fredermido Ferreras Díaz initiated the case. This is the member of the Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC) who in March 2018 had submitted a recourse to the Constitutional Court against the provisional clause in the 2015 Constitutional that bans President Danilo Medina from running for a third term. The Constitutional Court would subsequently reject the instance of unconstitutionality. In April 2019, the same lawyer then requested that the Central Electoral Board (JCE) issue a resolution so that President Medina could register his pre-candidacy for the PLD primary.
The PLD and the PRM have until 22 August 2019 to register the pre-candidates for the 6 October 2019 primaries. The campaign period for the pre-candidates opened on 7 July.
Leonel Fernández was President of the Republic from 1996 to 2000, 2004 to 2008 and 2008 to 2012. He now aspires to win the presidential candidacy for the PLD for the 2020 election. Polls show he is the most popular PLD candidate, but that his rejection rate is also the highest in the party.
The ruling PLD party has convened the meeting of its Central Committee for Saturday, 10 August. The vote of a third of the members of the Central Committee present for the meeting is needed for a pre-candidate to be cleared for the 6 October primary.
Hipólito Mejía was President of the Republic from 2000 to 2004 running on the PRD ticket. In the 2012 elections he lost to President Danilo Medina. He is one of the founding members of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) that resulted from a split between his followers and those of Miguel Vargas. He is scheduled to participate in the PRM primary scheduled for 6 October. His poll numbers are well below those of his opponent, Luis Abinader.
Lidio Cadet, president of the National Electoral Commission of the PLD, said that on Thursday, 8 August the party would decide the methodology to be used and this would be approved or not by the Central Committee in its meeting on 10 August. During the 10 August meeting, the party needs to vote on the pre-candidates that will be registered with the JCE by the 22 August deadline.
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Listin Diario
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El Nuevo Diario
7 August 2019