Dominican Liberation Party to hold committee meeting
The Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) will hold its political committee meeting today to discuss the July 20 elections that ousted the party from power.
The internal rivalry between two influential PLD figures—then-president Danilo Medina and his long-time competitor Leonel Fernandez—played a critical role in the party’s loss. In 2019, strife between the two former PLD presidents reached a peak when Fernandez quit the party to run for presidency as the candidate of the newly formed People’s Front (FP). Following Fernandez’s departure, 27 deputies and two senators defected from the PLD, leading to a split in the party’s votes.
Another explanation for the recent dip in PLD votes is the party’s selection of former minister Gonzalo Castillo as its presidential candidate. Seen by many as former president Medina’s puppet, Castillo has failed to present himself as a force of change in Dominican politics, making way to the ascent of president-elect Luis Abinader—a fresh face in politics with a background in economy and business.
As the PLD prepares to take a back seat in Dominican politics for the first time in 16 years, expect it to discuss major shakeups within the leadership to present a reinvigorated force to the electorate.
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