The personalized dispute between President Danilo Medina and former President Leonel Fernández continues to be public. On Monday evening, President Danilo Medina responded to former President Leonel Fernández’s Sunday, 20 October 2019 party resignation speech during a “plenary assembly” called at last minute. Social media carried photos and videos of the mixed attendance. Contradictorily, Gonzalo Castillo, the presidential candidate chosen by the PLD for the May 2020 general election, did not speak at the event. “He is the candidate of our party and we have to protect him,” said Medina. Medina said that Gonzalo is a phenomenon and will win the May 2020 election.
During the half-an-hour speech, President Medina in an enraged tone, responded to statements made by Fernández in his Sunday speech. In the improvised speech, Medina shared his recollections about party history. He said he did not like gossip, but the facts are facts…
Medina spoke of his high tolerance with dissidence. He said those who have been fired have been because they have shown disrespect for the figure of the President of the Republic. He highlighted nothing has come free for him in life. He accused Fernández of not supporting him in his attempts to reach the Presidency. He spoke of his challenges in the party regarding his presidential aspirations and those of Fernández. Medina denied he was obstinate in wanting to be President all his life.
Medina commented that Fernández never thought of competing and losing the presidential candidacy, and as this is the first time he loses, he cannot accept that a man until then unknown beat a “champion” with 25 years running in an electoral campaign, in just 27 days of campaigning.
“What is my crime, the crime I have committed is that I did not fail. And I am going to say it today, I have done it better than him,” he said.
Political analysts observed that Medina’s speech was about me, me and me.
Follow the story in Spanish:
YouTube
Diario Libre
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Z101 Digital
YouTube
22 October 2019