Political analysts are describing the ruling PLD’s internal election as a battle for the control of the ruling party between former President Leonel Fernandez, who is the president of the PLD, and incumbent President Danilo Medina. Medina has a much higher popularity rating than the former President. Fernandez was President from 1996-2000, and from 2004-2012 and is said to have placed people he trusts in positions of control in all branches of government, including the legislative and the judicial branches. Fernandez is a possible candidate for the PLD in the presidential election, while Medina is not able to run for re-election as was ruled in the 2010 Constitution passed during the Fernandez government.
A report in El Caribe explains the importance of being a member of the Central Committee, an honorary position. This is because the members who are elected will choose the 10 new members of the influential Political Committee that will increase from 25 to 35 members. “Whoever has more followers in the Central Committee will dominate the Political Committee,” reports El Caribe. Control of the Political Committee is vital because it is the body that decides who can or cannot be a presidential pre-candidate. The candidacies for senator, deputy, mayor, councilor and other popular electoral posts are decided by the vote of the Political Committee. Euclides Sanchez told El Caribe: “PLD members think that because they have high-ranking institutional posts they have a guarantee to occupy important political and electoral positions.”
Furthermore, in less than two years, the PLD needs to vote on its national authorities n the president, secretary general, secretary of organization of the party. The members of the Central Committee will again serve an important role. In the previous Congress, the authorities decided to confirm all the authorities so that the party could concentrate on national elections and not be distracted by the internal election.
The ruling PLD party meets on Sunday, 12 January with the participation of a possible 2,626,756 party members who will vote to choose 168 new members of the Central Committee. They will vote at 1,329 polling stations set up nationwide, said Cesar Pina Toribio, president of the organizing committee of the VIII Norge Botello Congress. There will be 3,098 electoral tables nationwide and 390 electoral tables set up abroad. During the election 37 party posts at a national level will be decided among 538 candidates for the positions.
Listin Diario highlights how the party’s internal election has undergone a process similar to national elections. There has been speculation that many of the candidates who are in government posts have been using state resources for their campaigns. But Listin Diario reports there have been no formal complaints.
PLD organizational secretary, controversial senator Felix Bautista gave details to the press on the procedure yesterday, Thursday 9 January. He said that during the campaign 970 candidates would be contesting the 168 positions in the Central Committee, 538 of which are at a national level and 432 at a local level. The candidates to be voted are 37 in the national vote, for which there are 538 contenders. This includes 86 at a local level with 432 contenders; 15 in the sectional level and 30 positions that are reserved for the influential Political Committee for a total of 168 members.
The vote count will take place at the Olympic Center Volleyball Pavilion.
Nationwide, public schools will be used as voting stations and polling will open at 8am and end at 5pm. The first vote count bulletin will be issued at 9pm.
In a statement to Diario Libre, Bautista denied that the differences between Medina and Fernandez would affect the election process. He said that Fernandez and Medina are more united than ever, adding that then-President Fernandez took it upon himself to campaign for Medina and that was why the party won the election.
www.listindiario.com.do/la-republica/2014/1/9/306238/Las-elecciones-del-PLD-parecen-generales-los-votos-seran-contados-en-el
www.acento.com.do/index.php/news/154929/56/Comision-PLD-no-ha-recibido-quejas-de-anomalias-en-campana-nuevos-miembros-CC.html
Derroche de recursos en final de campaña al Comité Central PLD
www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2014/01/10/i433301_pld-pide-votacin-pacfica-las-elecciones-del-comit-central.html