SANTO DOMINGO (Reuters) – The ruling party of the Dominican Republic is on the way to losing power after 16 years, according to the first results of the elections marked by the coronavirus pandemic, with opposition candidate Luis Abinader ready to convert in president.
A policeman watches over the empty streets of the colonial district, after the state of emergency decreed by the government last Thursday, as a preventive measure against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, March 24 2020. REUTERS / Ricardo Rojas
In the preliminary results representing 15% of the ballots cast, Abinader, 52, of the opposition Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), won 53.42% of the vote, which if sustained would be enough to avoid a second electoral return.
Gonzalo Castillo, 59, of the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), whose candidacy was endorsed by President Danilo Medina, ranked second with 36.83% of the votes. Both sides are centrist and pro-business.
Medina, 68, was not eligible to seek reelection after having served two consecutive terms and was unable to obtain sufficient support for a constitutional change to reoccur.
Abinader, who had to briefly suspend appearances last month after testing positive for coronavirus, promised to address voter complaints about corruption allegations and inequality under the PLD, while maintaining strong economic performance.
The US-educated economist and leader of the tourism industry says he has recovered from the virus and has tested negative ever since.
The country of 10.4 million, which shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti, has achieved annual growth of 7% in the last decade, but has fallen 38 places in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index during that Time to 137 of 180 countries.
The PLD was also seriously weakened after former President Leonel Fernández, 66, parted ways to form a scattered party in October. The first results placed him in a distant third place with 8.71% of the votes.
If he wins, Abinader faces the challenge of containing one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Latin America and its impact on a tourism-dependent economy, an industry that has been ravaged by the pandemic.
Coronavirus cases are reaching record daily highs four months after the first reported cases. The country has reported 37,425 cases and 794 deaths.
Critics say the government did not act fast enough, reopened the Caribbean’s largest economy too early last month and is too slow on the evidence.
Meanwhile, the Organization of American States said Sunday that one of the nine members of its electoral observation mission had tested positive for coronavirus and had been quarantined.
The OAS mission said it had detected flaws in social distancing during the day despite efforts by authorities, who also imposed sanitary measures such as requiring voters to disinfect their hands before casting their vote.
“We perceive overcrowding in some areas with people who do not respect the safe distance,” said OAS electoral observer Francisco Guerrero.
The government had postponed the elections as of May, but would have had to amend the constitution to postpone them again.
Some Dominicans abroad were unable to vote due to coronavirus blocking restrictions.
Report by Ezequiel Abiu López; Written by Sarah Marsh; Peter Cooney and Richard Pullin Edition
.
