(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Incumbent Leonel Fernández holds the upper hand in the Dominican Republic’s presidential race, according to a poll by Gallup published in Hoy. 51.7 per cent of respondents would vote for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) candidate in next month’s election.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Incumbent Leonel Fernández holds the upper hand in the Dominican Republic’s presidential race, according to a poll by Gallup published in Hoy. 51.7 per cent of respondents would vote for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) candidate in next month’s election.
Miguel Vargas Maldonado of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) is second with 37.4 per cent, followed by Amable Aristy Castro of the Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC) with four per cent, Eduardo Estrella of the Fourth Way (LCV) with one per cent, and Pedro Candelier of the Popular Alliance Party (PAP) with less than one per cent.
In the May 2004 presidential election, Fernández received 57.11 per cent of the vote, defeating incumbent Hipólito Mejía of the PRD and Estrella of the PRSC. Fernández had previously served as the Dominican Republic’s head of state from 1996 to 2000.
The Dominican Republic has been recently affected by soaring food prices. According to the Central Bank, general prices in the Caribbean nation rose by 1.71 per cent in March alone.
On Apr. 18, Fernández declared that the "government and commerce have agreed to lower the prices of basic products," adding that his administration will cover the difference. Following a conference with business leaders, Fernández added: "This meeting has definitively left a sort of collaboration between everyone so that the productive sector, obviously guaranteeing its profit, presents its products to the market and for the market, taking this situation into account, can present reasonable prices for the population."
The next presidential election is scheduled for May 16. A candidate requires more than 50 per cent of the vote to be elected in the first round.
Polling Data
Who would you vote for in the next presidential election?
|
Apr. 2008 |
Feb. 2008 |
Nov. 2007 |
|
|
Leonel Fernández (PLD) |
51.7% |
51.8% |
46.7% |
|
Miguel Vargas Maldonado (PRD) |
37.4% |
34.7% |
35.6% |
|
Amable Aristy Castro (PRSC) |
4.0% |
7.5% |
10.2% |
|
Eduardo Estrella (LCV) |
1.0% |
2.4% |
2.7% |
|
Pedro Candelier (PAP) |
0.5% |
0.9% |
1.8% |
Source: Gallup / Hoy
Methodology: Interviews with 1,200 Dominican adults, conducted from Apr. 11 to Apr. 15, 2008. Margin of error is 2.8 per cent.
