The Central Electoral Board (JCE) declared Gonzalo Castillo as the ruling party presidential candidate in the May 2020 election. There is speculation on what options are open to President Leonel Fernández. He could accept defeat and join efforts to ensure the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) wins the next elections. Most say the political cost of his abandoning the party would be too high.
Meanwhile, his supporters have said they will continue to insist with legal actions to impugn the candidacy of Castillo. The Fernandez team insists that an independent technical forensic audit the automated voting system.
Electoral history in the Dominican Republic is not on the side of the former President. Cases of allegations of fraud have been filed away, even at times when proof of fraud was presented.
It is not that Fernandez can run for another party, either. The Political Parties Law 33-18 bans aspirants to candidacies from switching political parties after losing.
Section 4 of Article 49 specifies: “It is necessary that the candidate for a particular electoral event, representing a party, group or political movement, have not participated as a candidate for another party for the same electoral event.” In other words, by law he could not run for another party. Several political parties have until 27 October to choose their presidential candidates.
Likewise, the ruling of the JCE also states that those who lose in a political party internal election may not run for another party in the 2020 elections.
There is speculation Fernández could covertly or overtly back Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) presidential candidate Luis Abinader. Fernández’s efforts to ban constitutional reform in Congress already had received the backing of Abinader. This support was crucial to impede the passing of a constitutional amendment that would have enabled President Danilo Medina to run for a third term. When he was impeded to run, Medina chose Gonzalo Castillo to run for his faction.
Abinader is open to an alliance. He recently told journalists that he has not met with Leonel Fernandez on the matter. Nevertheless, he stated: “We are evaluating everything. Anyone who wants change can accompany us.”
In regards to allegations of fraud in the primary made precisely by Fernández’s group, Abinader explained that the PRM is carrying out an assessment to present to the country.
Former President Leonel Fernández was scheduled to speak at 10pm on Sunday, 13 October 2019. The speech was then delayed for 11pm.
Political analysts recall that the PLD was founded after Juan Bosch and his followers split with José Francisco Peña Gómez of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), at that time the leading opposition party. The PRD would divide again, with former President Hipólito Mejía and Luís Abinader leaving to form the PRM in in time for the 2016 election. In that election, Abinader lost to President Danilo Medina.
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14 October 2019