A day after the election, with around 50% of the votes counted, the PLD used the extra front pages of the leading media to publish that the party acknowledged defeat but that the party had received almost the same amount of votes as the winner of the election, the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM). The numbers used were 42% to 40%.
But on Tuesday, with 82% of the votes counted, the percentages slid considerably in favor of the PRM. The percentages were PRM and allies 47.12% (1,172,826 votes) to 39.88% or 992,600 votes of the ruling PLD and allies. The PRM received 40% of the vote (989,712) compared to 822,192 or 33% of the PLD. This is based on the numbers delivered by the JCE as of 11am on 17 March when 91.27% of the polling stations had been counted.
Altagracia Salazar said on her Sin Maquillaje radio talk show on YouTube that the purchase of the front pages of the printed media is to calm the PLD troops. She estimated the PLD paid RD$13 million for the propaganda.
The JCE announced at 10pm that it had completed the count for 151 of 158 municipalities.
In an opinion piece in Acento online portal, political analyst Rosario Espinal attributes the defeat of the ruling party to its loss of favor with the middle classes and its rejection to corruption in government.
Follow the story in Spanish:
YouTube – Altagracia Salazar Sin Maquillaje
Acento — Rosario Espinal
18 March 2020