According to Adriano Miguel Tejada of Diario Libre, televised political debates are especially attractive to candidates with low ratings in the polls. Tejada recalls that when Danilo Medina competed against current President Hipolito Mejia in the 2000 presidential election campaign, Mejia refused offers to participate in a one-on-one US-style debate. He reasoned then the pointlessness of debating someone who was showing only 20% voter preference. His feeling was that he stood nothing to gain in a debate, while Medina could have picked up a few points.
Now, with Mejia rated by polls at 14%, he is more amenable to participating in a debate, and has already told journalists he would accept.
Tejada says that has been the strategy in Dominican politics, regardless of who is the better speaker.
The debates are being organized by the National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (ANJE), while the Foundation for Institutionalism and Justice (FINJUS) has also said it will invite the candidates to a televised question-and-answer session. PLD candidate Leonel Fernandez has yet to comment on his participation in the proposed debates.