POLITICS IN SHAMBLES Elections in the Dominican Republic
Murphy, Martin F.
Only two months before national presidential elections in the Dominican Republic, slated for May 16, no clear front-runner has emerged, with opinion polls remaining far from conclusive. The...
...The country's development model, imported from the United States, has proven to be a bust, and its "experiment in democracy" is now on shaky ground...
...Their ideologies range from rightist through social democratic to leftist, from pro-modernization to pro-nationalization...
...Yet for the first time since 1962-when he was elected president only to be overthrown eight months later-Bosch and his Dominican Liberation Party actually have a shot at the presidency, albeit a remote one...
...Majluta has a reputation for permitting wholesale state corruption despite his efforts to distance himself from the disasters of the Jorge Blanco Administration, and carries the pejorative label of an Arabe in an Afro-Hispanic nation...
...He seldom speaks of his brief term in office more than 20 years ago, but instead campaigns on his visions for the future-though rarely offering solid proposals for change...
...He also recalls that the International Monetary Fund, bugbear of the outgoing PRD government, never put pressure on his Administration...
...The fourth candidate, the charismatic PRD Secretary General Jos6 Pefia G6mez, has been an influential party leader for more than 20 years...
...But Balaguer fails to note that subsequent governments had to pay the price of the country's "economic miracle...
...ises of jobs, land and general under his administration...
...Both wields a constituency of military and Party, which he totally dominates, Haitian blood: A handicap in a racist society APRIL/MAY 1986 11and has not suggested a preferred vice presidential candidate and possible successor...
...His handling of state finances during that time was widely criticized, and his Middle Eastern ethnic background is also seen as a handicap...
...They no longer view democratic elections as a panacea...
...In addition, the Dominican Left of 1986 is passing through its greatest moment of crisis in recent years, with internal divisions and highly publicized defections by influential leaders...
...Despite the years of bad blood between Jacobo Majluta and outgoing PRD President Salvador Jorge Blanco, and despite the vicious competition between Majluta and Pefia G6mez, Majluta continues to claim the PRD candidacy at press time...
...Most Dominicans believe the election of Bosch, a progressive, would provoke a military coup...
...and those urban resiinto Jorge Blanco's term, was never of democracy has been built on prom- dents who have been promised jobs replaced...
...Yet his success in cementing a strong following, notably among wealthy Arab-Dominican merchants and sectors of the military, makes Majluta a formidable candidate...
...Nor did he prepare a natu- more years in office...
...As for Pefia With the field clear, Majluta began economic and political favors to indi- G6mez, most of his support comes to campaign immediately after Jorge viduals...
...Many observers have questioned this approach when Majluta already has his own party and political machine waiting in the wings...
...Nor does he mention the fact that as many as 2,000 citizens were assassinated or disappeared during his twelve years as president...
...Balaguer's ability to survive four re-election...
...The political sphere, much like the Dominican economy, is in shambles...
...to debates and slurs about the contenders' past records on human rights, leftist ties and corruption...
...As mayor of the capital city, Santo Domingo, since 1982, Pefia G6mez has projected an image of moderation to domestic and foreign investors...
...two of them claim to represent the same party...
...Juan Bosch, the symbol of Latin American political martyrdom in the 1960s, remains the perennial opposition candidate...
...Until recently, Pefia G6mez had displayed a consistent desire to keep the PRD intact, as well as an uncanny ability to obtain economic aid and political backing from social democratic leaders in Western Europe...
...Trujillo...
...Rather, All four candidates also have seriveloped by Jorge Blanco during the each has his own constituency, a ous weaknesses...
...The 19821986 period was marred by negotiations with the IMF, the general economic crisis and political repression-all vividly illustrated by the riots of 1984, in which at least 84 people were killed by the police and military...
...The major fear privately expressed by supporters of Bosch is whether the Dominican military or the U.S...
...Majluta, a comparatively cally, however, Balaguer has yet to the lead, followers of Peiha G6mez recent arrival on the political scene, call a convention of the Reformist absconded with the ballot boxes...
...An already messy campaign has been further complicated by issues concerning the candidates' age, health, ethnicity and race...
...He is currently Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame...
...Class consciousness is not from the urban poor, a demographiBlanco's inauguration-some obser- widespread in Dominican society, and cally important group traditionally vers say before, while he was interim candidates do not attract a following controlled by the PRD...
...The numerous parties to the right and left of the four principal contenders have played relatively insignificant roles in recent past elections...
...Unemployment is estimated by government sources to be as high as 20% in Santo Domingo, while the World Bank reckons as many as 60% nationally may be underemployed...
...Roping for the Best The split within the PRD continues to obscure predictions of the election outcome...
...Imitating a model de- along clear-cut class lines...
...Instead, they just tighten their belts and hope for the best on an individual basis...
...Balaguer's reputa1970s, Majluta and his followers group of individuals who expect im- tion is still tarnished by the repression created a political machine of their mediate, tangible benefits from their during his years in power...
...Worse, own within the PRD...
...Bosch, meanwhile, elicits cerns the selection of a running mate, The party convention now faced the most of his support from a vocal and for few Dominicans feel the ex-presitask of choosing between Majluta and dynamic following of students and dent could survive the rigors of the Pefia G6mez, but with less than 10% sugar plantation workers in the eastern presidency until 1990...
...Characteristiof the votes counted and Majluta in provinces...
...A House Divided Jacobo Majluta Azar is also a former president, though his tenure lasted only 42 days, from the suicide of President Antonio Guzmin in July 1982 to the inauguration of Salvador Jorge Blanco the following month...
...The four leading contenders cover much of the political spectrum...
...Serious analysis and discussion of the country's economic crisis have taken a back seat Martin F. Murphy is a former Special Professor of Anthropology at the Universidad Aut6noma de Santo Domingo, and co-author of the book The 1982 National Elections in the Dominican Republic: A Sociological and Historical Interpretation...
...He appears to be playing the role of victim-the politician whose candidacy was snatched away from him by thugs of the party administration-and will stay with this strategy as long as it goes on attracting sympathizers...
...It is most likely that he will announce his candidacy on the La Estructura ticket shortly before election day...
...He reminds voters that during his three terms in office, from 1966-1978, the Dominican Republic was held up as a model for Latin American development...
...Embassy would permit his inauguration...
...But these proposals are at best tentative, and both candidates have other options...
...The principal actors are three expresidents and the secretary general of the ruling Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD...
...Racism is an even bigger obstacle for Pefia G6mez, whose loyalty to the Jorge Blanco government will also weigh heavily against him...
...Backers of Pefia G6mez are pressing for a complete break with Majluta, while Majluta can activate La Estructura as a legitimate Dominicans tighten their belts, hope for the best political party at any time...
...This year, however, with four strong candidates vying for votes, even a poor showing by the minority parties of right and left-similar to the 6% total they received in 1982--could have a decisive effect...
...Though also in his seventies now, Bosch presents a vibrant, youthful image...
...Most Dominicans are now more politically sophisticated than in the past, even cynical...
...However, Pefia G6mez's history as a radical and his ethnic origins are serious liabilities...
...Now 78, virtually blind and in generally poor health, Balaguer-once puppet president under dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo-campaigns on the memory of fuller bellies...
...How is it, though, that the ruling PRD has two separate presidential candidates, Majluta and Pefia G6mez...
...But becoming president of the Dominican Republic is hard for a descendant of black Haitian immigrants, particularly if he is best remembered as the famous orator who called the revolutionary constitutionalist forces to arms on national radio during the 1965 civil war...
...Months before candidate's victory, even his staunchest supporters are the PRD convention in the fall of Balaguer, for instance, maintains concerned about the old man's poor 1985, Majluta's group, known as La the support of a large segment of the health and physical stamina, evident Estructura, registered itself as a polit- peasantry, traditional groups within in his frequent trips to medical centers ical party with the Central Electoral the military and National Police and in the United States and his rare public Commission-something that Jorge old guard conservatives, including appearances...
...Regardless of the debate over ideologies, past records, health, ethnic labels and constituencies, will any president-especially a minority one--be able to resolve the country's future problems...
...Salvador Jorge Blanco, victor in the REPORT ON THE AMERICAS C a a, 101982 elections on the PRD ticket, re- candidates cried fraud, and both police officers concerned about peatedly said that he would not seek claimed the PRD candidacy...
...How will he control an inflation rate that academic sources say has reached over 100% in the last 18 months, and satisfy the demands of even a simple majority of the interest groups in a complex society...
...The biggest question Blanco's campaign grouping, Avan- surviving supporters of dictator mark over the Balaguer ticket conzada Electoral, had never done...
...The party has recently proposed a number of schemes to resolve the split, the latest being that Majluta and Pefia G6mez should run on the same ticket, as president and vice president respectively...
...a merchant class ral successor: Vice President Fernan- Favors to Individuals that was treated well during his 42dez Mirmol, who died only months Since 1966, the Dominican model day presidency...
...How will the new president revitalize an economy subject to the onerous demands of the IMF and racked by government corruption...
...Joaquin Balaguer, the eldest statesman, apparently will make his sixth bid for the presidency on the joint ticket of his Reformist Party and the conservative Revolutionary Social Christian Party...
Vol. 20 • April 1986 • No. 2
