Economist and historian, Bernardo Vega writes in El Caribe newspaper today that the numbers of undecided voters has increased, as per results of the survey carried out by the Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Sociales (CIES) of UNIBE, under Wilfredo Lozano and Ramon Tejada Holguin. The poll indicates that the number of undecided voters went from 16% in February to 22% in August and 28% in September. At the same time, voter preference for the PRD has fluctuated from 15% in March, 20% in August and 16% in September. Voter preference for the PRSC has gone from 9 in March to 14% in August and 13% in September. At the same time, the ruling PLD party has seen its popularity decline from 59% in February to 43% in August (according to Gallup), down to 40% in September. Vega points out that the number of undecided voters is equivalent to the sum of the voting preferences for the two opposition parties, the PRD (16%) and the PRSC (13%). He points out that the increase in the undecided voters can be attributed to voters not approving of government of either of the three majority parties.
He asks why has the popularity of the PLD declined from 59% popularity to 40% in only six months? He points out that while in the past economic issues were the most important, today 37% of the country points to delinquency, public insecurity, drug consumption and drug trafficking as major problems. He points out that for the PLD to increase its popularity it will have to take action to convince the population that it is truly fighting against delinquency and drug trafficking.