On Friday, 15 November 2019, the secretary of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) Carolina Mejía set her position on the partnership with Juntos Podemos, the coalition of minority parties that back a coalition that includes former President Leonel Fernández. Mejía is the daughter of former President Hipólito Mejía. Fernández is a three-time President and for several decades has presided the ruling party.
After the Central Electoral Board (JCE) declared Gonzalo Castillo would be the presidential candidate for the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Fernández split to ally with the Partido de los Trabajadores Dominicanos and create The Force of the People (La Fuerza del Pueblo). Fernández claimed widespread fraud in the primary and called for a forensic audit with the backing of multilateral organizations.
The JCE has yet to approve the switch in name and the candidacy of Fernández for President for another political party. Meanwhile, National Progressive Force (Fuerza Nacional Progresista) has also registered Fernández for President.
Carolina Mejía did not attend the recent announcement of the PRM joining forces with the groups that back Fernández.
“I am concerned that some of the people who participate in the alliance with the Juntos Podemos are the same people who have had a great part of the responsibility for the serious deterioration of our democratic institutions,” Mejia said in a letter sent to the PRM executive directorate.
“On Wednesday, October 30, when we were informed of the conversations with Juntos Podemos, I expressed my concern and disagreement with the proposal, because the objective of the PRM is to promote a political model different from that of the PLD that for almost two decades has been one based on anti-values and that has caused profound damage to our society,” Mejía has stated.
The PRM ceded to the coalition 24 senate candidacies, of which seven were granted to the La Fuerza del Pueblo, the political movement promoted by former President Leonel Fernández that yet has to receive the green light by the Central Electoral Board. Other members of the coalition are the PRSC.
Roberto Fulcar, campaign director for PRM presidential candidate Luis Abinader, argues that the party is taking the necessary steps to ensure a change of government during the 2020 election.
Read more in Spanish:
Hoy
N Digital
Z101 Digital
Acento
Hoy
Z101 Digital
Listin Diario
18 November 2019