The presidential pre-candidate of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), 53-year old Francisco Domínguez Brito, inaugurated his 2020 presidential campaign on the evening of 16 July 2019. The event was held at the auditorium of the Pavilion of Fame at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.
Domínguez Brito wants to be the alternative to the rumored division within the ruling PLD party due to differences between party giants President Danilo Medina and party president, former President Leonel Fernández. He says he will continue the good works and programs of the present government. He says he represents the new generation of PLD leaders and says the time of President Leonel Fernández has passed. He called to “turn the page.”
“That the Dominican Liberation Party put behind it the internal clashes so we can focus on continuing to govern, in making a new government with the best of the PLD, a government that leaves no one out, a government without winners or losers, without divisions or confrontations,” he stated.
His announcement comes as the impasse between President Danilo Medina and former President Leonel Fernández worsens. President Medina wants to seek a third term, but to do so, he needs to push through constitutional reform. Fernández says that the 2015 Constitution was already changed to allow Medina to seek his second and final term.
That evening, Domínguez Brito highlighted the achievements of the PLD governments and criticized the administrations of the political opposition. “The opposition party cannot mention a single advance in education or health, nor a single work of infrastructure of importance as legacy of their governments,” said the former Attorney General of the Republic.
Domínguez Brito said that clumsy management of the economy characterized the past governments of those who lead the PRM. He criticized the opposition party candidates for not presenting proposals or programs.
On the contrary, he maintained that the PLD has brought stability to the country.
Domínguez Brito is a lawyer and politician with extensive experience in government. He was National District prosecutor (1997-2000), Attorney General (2004-2006) senator for Santiago (2006-2010), Minister of Labor (2011-2012), Attorney General (2012-2016), and Minister of Environment (2016-2018). He resigned his position at the Ministry of Environment to campaign for the presidency.
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Domínguez Brito
Listin Diario
17 July 2019