President Joaquín Balaguer maintained his evasive attitude last week when, on Tuesday, after an hour long political procession by himself through Cibao communities to support the PRSC presidential candidate Jacinto Peynado, and following an inauguration of a housing project, he responded to journalists questions. This time the President has not been answering journalists questions since September 1995 when a reporter apparently offended him and caused him to go mute. The President was asked about his solo campaigning to which he responded, “No, I am not doing anything, I am only conducting official openings.” He was then asked about the electricity privatization bill, to which he again responded: “I do not know anything, anything, of anything.” To a third question asking if he had any comment on the present political campaign, he answered: “Absolutely nothing.”
When asked how his health was he was more forthcoming, answering: “More or less.”
To a final question from a Hoy journalist, as to whether he will continue to campaign alone, he stated “I do not know anything, anything of anything.”
Hoy observed that the President seemed to enjoy his answers, as afterwards he would smile slightly.
At the time of the Dr Balaguer tour, it was said that Mr Peynado was at the Hotel Gran Almirante in the city of Santiago. President Balaguer led a political caravan alone again on Thursday in Santo Domingo.