NS‘Never’, which casts its weight on the leadership of Danilo Medina to aspire to the presidency and vice-president, has become one of the main electoral obstacles faced by the opposition Dominican Liberation Party, in its struggle to return to power.

The organization had to step up its political activism in search of preparing a presidential figure against the clock of 2024 and trying to dust itself off from defeat. With this goal, former Vice President Margarita Cedeno, former Prosecutor General Francisco Dominguez Brito, and Mayor of Santiago, Abel Martinez, have already entered.

In the supreme powers of the Democratic Liberation Party, businessman Gonzalo Castillo, the defeated candidate in the July 5 elections last year, and one of the main architects, does not rule out, along with a city, in the disastrous division of 2019.

Also cited was the influential former Administrative Minister of the Presidency of the Republic, José Ramon Peralta, who is credited with a remarkable participation in the snap election of General Secretary Charlie Mariotti, which was treated as a challenge to the leader or a betrayal of potential winner Robin Bishara.

Yesterday, the announcement of the presidential aspirations of another member of the political committee of the Democratic Liberation Party, former Minister of the Interior and Police, Carlos Amarante Barrett, was postponed.

corruption
This whole process begins in the midst of questions and reports brought to justice by senior PLD leaders, militants, former officials of the Medina government and relatives of the presidential family, related to acts of administrative corruption in the previous administration of the PLD party.

These unfolding events will become severe baldness for the PLD presidential candidates, who will have to visit the national territory again and again, not only in the internal primaries of the Democratic Liberation Party, but also in the interest of the people in the event that the final presidential candidacy occurs.

Another obstacle to overcome is the erosion of the PLD mechanism accumulated over two decades in power, and the huge amount of resources that must be invested in a company of this nature when there are more than two years left for the internal process and the 2020 general election.

Candidates
Margherita Cedeño, the only woman aspiring to run for president from the PLD party, has extensive experience as a statesman. She was First Lady in the two terms of former President Lionel Fernandez (2004-2008 and 2008-1012). In addition, the Vice President of the Republic in the two terms of former President Danilo Medina (2012-2016 and 2016-2020), with protracted executions in government social programs.

Cedeño’s character sparked controversy when she politically distanced herself from her husband, Lionel Fernandez, who resigned from the PLD and was Fuerza del Pueblo’s presidential candidate, while once again accepting the PLD’s vice presidential nomination with Castillo.

In the case of Dominguez Prieto, he was the Prosecutor of the National District (1997-2000), Attorney General of the Republic (2004-2006), Senator from Santiago (2006-2010), PDL Presidential Candidate (2011), Minister of Labor 2011-2012 ) Attorney General of the Republic (2012-2016), Minister of Environment (2016-2018) and presidential candidate (2019).

Abel Martinez has been a Representative of Santiago since 2002 and served as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies from 2010-2016. He was elected mayor of Santiago in last year’s municipal elections.

The PLD party ruled the country from 1996-2000 and 2004 until 2020, when it was replaced by President Luis Abenader and the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM).