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Election Date: May 16, 2008

At stake: President

Background

The Dominican Republic shares the Hispaniola Island with Haiti, and seceded in 1844. After the 31-year dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo ended with his assassination in 1961, three parties—aside from brief periods of unrest—have dominated the country’s political arena.

The Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC) became a household name by electing three-time president Joaquín Balaguer in four different decades. The Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) won the 2000 presidential election, with candidate Hipólito Mejía.

In the 2004 presidential ballot, former president Leonel Fernández of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) returned to power, winning 57.11 per cent of all cast ballots. Fernández had won the 1996 vote in a run-off, becoming the country’s youngest head of state at age 42.

Click here for the 2004 Dominican Republic Presidential Election Tracker

During his first term as president, Fernández instituted a policy of higher wages for state employees in order to combat corruption. In 1997, a series of constitutional amendments were finalized with the appointment of new Supreme Court justices, in an effort to eradicate impunity.

In May 2004, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua agreed to the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). The Dominican Republic followed suit in August. The treaty seeks to reduce or eliminate taxes and tariffs on imports.

Fernández defined CAFTA as "a necessity" for the Caribbean nation, adding, "If we lose the United States as a trade ally, it would be a catastrophe. There will be no other destination for our products and services."

On Dec. 2, 2005, Fernández said his government has "fully complied with the key objective of 2005, which was making this the year of recovery." A report from the Dominican Central Bank said the Caribbean nation’s economy grew by 7.3 per cent in the first nine months of 2005.

In the 2006 Congress of the Republic Election, political parties created two major coalitions. Final Results gave the PLD-backed Progressive Bloc 96 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate. The opposition Great National Alliance finished second, with 82 lower house seats and 10 upper house seats.

Click Here for the 2004 Dominican Republic 2006 Legislative Election Tracker

Fernández introduced a series of measures to improve economic performance throughout 2006 and 2007. By the first half of 2006, the country’s economy had grown by more than 11 percentage points.

2008 Presidential Election

Leonel Fernández will seek a new term in office, once again representing the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD). His main contenders include Miguel Vargas Maldonado of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), Amable Aristy Castro of the Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), Eduardo Estrella of The Fourth Way (LCV) and Pedro Candelier of the Popular Alliance Party (PAP).

Polls released in 2007 by Gallup and Alfonso Cabrera y Asociados have shown that Fernández could secure another term in office.

In November, former president Hipólito Mejía of the PRD admitted that he is attempting to secure an alliance between Vargas and Aristy in order to present a stronger opposition front against Fernández, saying, "I am working for that. I believe that there must be an agreement."

On Dec. 4, Estrella criticized political parties who provide food or medicine for electoral gain, saying, "People should keep taking what is given to them, but vote for whoever they please. After all, those goods were purchased with the people’s money."

On Feb. 12, 2008, Fernández rejected calls from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reform the country’s fiscal system, saying, “The conditions for this proposal are not there. (...) This is not the best moment for this undertaking.” The IMF had called for a “speedy” hike in interest rates.

One of Fernández’s staple projects has been the construction of a subway in Santo Domingo. According to official figures, the project will cost a total $710 million U.S.—over two per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The president has faced criticism for spending so much on the project, instead of dealing with other pressing issues. He has defended the subway as a necessity for the country’s capital.

On Feb. 13, Fernández and members of his cabinet took a test ride in the new subway. The president said afterwards that the trip was “formidable” and assured the subway will be functioning in time for Dominican Independence Day on Feb. 27.

On Feb. 23, Vargas said he would invest in the country’s “jeopardized” farming industry if elected, declaring, “It is impossible in these times of advanced technology and globalization for the farming sector to keep producing in the manner of artisans.” The PRD candidate claimed that the country’s agricultural producers are in a “deep crisis.”

On Feb. 27, PRSC spokesman Ramón Rogelio Genao referred to a presidential speech—which claimed that Dominicans are eating more and better than four years ago—saying that Fernández divided the country in two: an imaginary “half-island of fantasy and another real one, filled with the poor and destitute, devoid of everything.”

On Mar. 17, Vargas chose neurological surgeon Joaquín Puello Herrera as his vice-presidential nominee, saying, “Hundreds of thousands of Dominicans have trusted in this man’s safe and prudent hands when their lives have been in danger. And he has saved them, not only because of his extraordinary capabilities but because he is a man of faith.”

On Apr. 3, Aristy questioned whether the country can sustain a new term under Fernández, declaring, “The situation is very precarious for the poor, who have seen their economic situation worsen, while they see and hear the government on television say that everything is fine.”

A subway project in Santo Domingo—which is expected to cost $725 million U.S.—has been one of the most controversial ventures of Fernández’s term. On Apr. 7, opposition PRD leader Orlando Jorge Mera criticized the current administration, saying, ‘‘His is one of those governments that wants symbolic pharaonic public works that stay in people’s memories, despite the need or cost.”

On Apr. 10, Aristy chided Fernández for deciding not to take part in a presidential debate organized by National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (ANJE), saying, “Leonel did not only insult the young entrepreneurs who invited him, but also insulted and offended academics, professors, students, and our entire middle class, and in a very special way, he insulted the poor by expressing that Dominicans do not think.”

On Apr. 15, Vargas discussed his proposals to deal with corruption, saying, “I intend to pursue an agenda of transparency, in order to build a state that is accountable and strengthens democracy. (...) As president, I will be the first person to place all relevant information for all citizens to see.”

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.”

On Apr. 29, Fernández said corruption and poverty are intertwined, declaring, “Corruption is an unending process, no society eliminates it completely. Haiti is seen as the most corrupt country and it’s also the poorest; Bolivia is second and it’s also the second poorest. (...) Chile is seen as the least corrupt in Latin America, because it’s also the richest. (...) Corruption would diminish [in the Dominican Republic] if development is reached.”

On May 1, Vargas accused the current government of poor economic management, saying, “The re-election candidate should explain why he didn’t take measures to prevent price increases of food and medicine, which could’ve been avoided by lowering taxes on fuels, supporting farm production with funds and not ballooning the public expenditure, which has pressed additional prices increases.”

Polls conducted by Asisa Research Group and Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates suggested a first round victory for incumbent Fernández.

On May 10, Fernández’s government raised food subsidies, fearing that days of protests over increasing prices in neighbouring Haiti could be replicated in the country. The decision came just a day after the Industry and Commerce Ministry froze oil prices for the seven days preceding the presidential election. An official communiqué stated that the decision seeks to “wait until the spiralling bubble dissipates, which has been determining an upward trend for oil prices abroad.”

On May 14,  Aristy urged voters to send a message to the president, adding, “Leonel has been punishing the people for four years, with high cost of living, unemployment, lack of public safety, blackouts and low quality in education, health care, drinking water and transportation. He has punished Dominicans four times with the same number of fiscal reforms and tax schemes”

Also on May 14, Candelier argued that the Dominican Republic is in disarray, adding, “Governments here work for their own benefit. (...) We must make all public servants accountable to the public, so we can know how the people’s money has been spent.”

Voting took place on May 16. Final results gave Leonel Fernández a new term in office with 53.83 per cent of the vote. The incumbent president expressed satisfaction with the outcome, saying, “I want to extend an invitation to every political force so we can work together as one people, without fragmentations, because the election is behind us and now we must unite as a country, to face the challenges that lie ahead.”

Political Players

President: Leonel Fernández - PLD

The president is elected to a four-year term by popular vote.

Legislative Branch: The Congreso de la República (Congress of the Republic) has two chambers. The Cámara de Diputados (Chamber of Deputies) has 178 members, elected to four-year terms by proportional representation. The Senado (Senate) has 32 members, elected to four-year terms in single-seat constituencies.

Results of Last Election:

President - May 16, 2008

Congress of the Republic - May 16, 2006

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