Today’s Que se dice column in Hoy deals with the recently released results of a survey taken by the PRD political party of its membership. The columnist says that in viewing the results, the incident that took place during the party’s general assembly two weeks ago at the Mauricio Baez Club is now understandable. The poll reveals that 2,000 PRD delegates support reinstating the prohibition of presidential re-election in the party’s new platform and statutes, among other significant changes, such as approving the secret and universal vote for the selection of the party’s political leaders. Many of these higher-ups, motivated by opportunism more than conviction says the column, have tried to convert their thorough defeat into some sort of victory, and are accepting the avalanche of opinions. The party’s base has resoundingly said, however, that their number-one priority is to obtain a new leadership team for the PRD. All that is left is for the current leaders, responsible for last May’s electoral defeat and the political disgrace facing the PRD, to get the message, pack up their things and go, says the writer.
And the wonderful pen of the Diario Libre editorialist writes in De buena tinta of the surprise return of Vicente Sanchez Baret. The PRD official stormed out of a meeting last 27 of November at the Hotel Hamaca, swearing and cursing his fellow party members and ultimately resigning his post as party president. According to the editorialist, Sanchez Baret should heed the new “teen-speak” phrase that says “Forget your makeup” as another way of saying “You are getting too fresh.” De buena tinta says Sanchez Baret has applied more makeup than necessary in reassuming the party presidency. Although Sanchez Baret said he returned to the fold at the behest of his party colleagues, the only evidence of that was a group of party loyalists who put their signatures on a note that was written for them. The best part, according to the writer, is that Sanchez Baret made this statement at the press conference that revealed the results of the PRD survey, whose publication he had so vehemently opposed. The numbers of the survey confirm what everyone knew: the PRD wants a change of leadership, and they are more than 70% in favor of making the change. Because Sanchez Baret is part and parcel of that leadership, it hardly makes sense for him to return to his post, since it was widely expected that others would follow his lead and similarly resign. What the ironic editorialist really wants to know, however, is whether Sanchez Baret apologized for his diatribe and the insults hurled at his fellow party leaders. “He can’t go back with his face all clean, as if nothing has happened.”