A non-disclosure clause impedes the four polling companies hired to determine the best-positioned candidate to represent the Danilo Medina faction to reveal their polling results. Andrés Navarro, one of the pre-candidates, gave the explanation to the press upon announcing his support to the winner, Gonzalo Castillo. He just shared that Francisco Domínguez Brito was the runner-up and he was third.
Castillo himself announced he was the winner of the polls in a four-minute press conference. The media did not have access to the technical details of the surveys nor details on the results. As reported, the surveys also served to measure how the candidates would fare against Leonel Fernández and opposition candidates .
Patricia Solano and Diana Lora of La Cuestion radio talk show wondered out loud whether a mega investment in propaganda will enable Castillo to defeat former President Leonel Fernández and win the candidacy of the ruling party in the 6 October 2019 primary.
Political analyst Olaya Dotel said on the same radio talk show that more than popularity, the issue at hand is who manages the party machinery. This time around it is Danilo Medina. Dotel explained that Medina was responsible for bringing Leonel Fernández to power in 1996. Back then, Medina negotiated a deal with late President Joaquín Balaguer. He would continue to control the strings of government until he resigned the position of Minister of the Presidency in 2007 under the Leonel Fernández administration, when the later announced he would seek reelection in 2008. Medina would be elected President in 2012 for one term. Medina also successfully negotiated for constitutional reform in 2015 to allow him to seek a second term.
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La Cuestion
10 September 2019