(Santo Domingo) The outgoing Dominican head of state Luis Abinader, who campaigned around his economic record and his firm policy towards immigration from Haiti, was re-elected on the first presidential turn for a new four-year term.
“The people have expressed themselves clearly […] I accept the trust I have received and the obligation not to disappoint. I will not disappoint you,” he told his supporters.
“I am and I will be the president of all Dominicans,” insisted Mr. Abinader who was the big favorite in the polls. He had made the fight against Haitian immigration, often associated with crime, one of the key issues of his presidency.
Haiti, with which the much more prosperous Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola, is sinking into a previous crisis worsened by gang violence.
PHOTO HENRY ROMERO, REUTERS
Luis Abinader
The full results are not known but according to the partial censuses of the National Electoral Council (JCE, Central Electoral Junta) at 11:30 p.m. local time (11:30 p.m. Eastern time) with 25.52% of votes counted, Mr. Abinader received 58.87% of the votes against 27.25% for former president Leonel Fernandez.
Abel Martinez comes third with 10.60% of the votes, the other six candidates being far behind.
“This evening I called President Luis Abinader to salute his electoral victory and wish him every success in his administration,” Mr. Fernandez wrote on X.
“Zero Haitian”
At the president’s campaign headquarters, some 200 activists and supporters of Mr. Abinader shouted their joy, clapped their hands, convinced of victory. “Four more years, four more years,” they chanted, noted an AFP journalist.
” Happy. Satisfied ! We’ve swept them aside, we’re going to the top. This means that the country is pursuing change, that we are moving forward,” said Joney Dotel, 38, psychologist, at Mr. Abinader’s campaign headquarters.
Mr. Abinader’s political party, the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), which had already won 120 of the 150 municipalities in February, should also obtain the majority of seats of the 190 deputies and 32 senators at stake.
PHOTO RICARDO HERNANDEZ, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Leonel Fernandez, defeated presidential candidate
To watch in particular, the vote of the diaspora, mainly based in the United States. It represents 11% of voters and its transfers of funds to the motherland accounted for 9.1% of GDP in 2022, according to the World Bank.
The opposition denounced on Sunday “the massive buying of votes” by the president’s party, claiming to have “collected evidence – videos, photos”, according to Manuel Crespo, an opposition delegate. The JCE said it had not received any official complaints about vote buying.
Around 70% of Dominicans approve of Mr. Abinader’s management and in particular his firm policy towards Haiti.
Since coming to power in 2020, he has increased his strong declarations and anti-immigration and expulsion operations? He had a wall built on part of the border with Haiti.
“President Abinader has lifted the country. He must put in place stricter laws for migrants. When we (Dominican migrants) go to Puerto Rico or the United States in an inflatable boat, they send us back. This country (Dominican Republic) is free and sovereign. (We want) Zero Haitians in this country,” proclaims Pedrito Nunez, an activist also present at the campaign HQ.
“It was expected (the victory) and I am very happy about it,” rejoices Mary Pimente, 44 years old. “Where I live, I see a truck (deportation) of migrants passing by every day.”
Mr. Abinader also boasted of positive economic results, citing “high” growth, inflation “in the range” and a low unemployment rate. The World Bank forecasts a 5% increase in GDP by the end of the year, as does the IMF, which highlights the country’s “potential” to “become an advanced economy” in the coming decades.
Mr. Fernandez, however, denounced manipulation of the figures, stressing that the basic food basket increased by 3.56% in 2023 compared to 2022.