Last Sunday the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) celebrated the last phase of its IX Interior Congress, Joao Pita Medina, whose goal was to update the political guidelines that, after an election process, they lost a large number of port elections. The presidency of the Republic led to the victory of Louis Abinader.
On Sunday, March 7, by-elections were held at the Sans Susi terminal, where officials leading the former ruling party were elected party president, general secretary and political committee for the next four years. .
The maximum structure of this political leadership with 35 members up to that point is on average 62 years old. In that election, in which 45 members were elected, only four out of 35 did not want to be approved for their posts.
Former ambassadors to Washington Jose Thomas Perez and Beluccio Jimenez have announced they will not return to those activities, as they have decided to reduce their presence in political activities, while former Secretary-General Reynolds Parade Perez and Alma Fernandez have not returned due to health issues.
Danilo Medina, who was hailed as the new president without a vote, and Charlie Mariotte, the new general secretary, were the first to be elected in a close victory over Ruben Pichara. The remaining 43 seats were up for grabs in another election, with Francisco Tomanjuus Brito voting overwhelmingly.
As a result, all members who wished to remain in the body as a result of this election were approved, with the exception of former Minister of Culture Eduardo Selman and former Senator Robert de la Cruz of La Altacrecia.
Southern majority
Of the 45 members of the political committee, 16 are from the southern region, mainly from the province of San Juan de la Maguana, seven of whom were born, led by former President Danilo Medina and his sister Lucia.
Another 12 were born in Greater Santo Domingo, and an equivalent of 12 in the Sibao region. The rest is Rafael Boss, who was born in Manhattan, one of the five largest cities in New York City, USA.
In the new record of the political committee, 16 people entered for the first time.
These new additions, led by Mariotti, former economy minister Juan Ariel Jimenez and former candidate for national district senator Rafael Boss, have left the average age of the “new” political group at 56 years old.
In other words, the internal elections reduced the age of the highest PLD body to six years and increased its membership by a total of 10 members.
Three people under the age of 40
Of the 45 members of the current political committee, three are under the age of 40. The youngest is precisely Juan Ariel Jimenez, 36 years old.
The former official, who was ranked 23rd in the poll, received 46.68% of the vote and was the son of Beluccho Jimenez, who joined the Central Committee last February.
Another under-40, Johnny Pujols, 37, is 27th with 43.44%.
Pujols were formally enrolled in the Dominican Liberation Party in 2005, within the framework of the VII Congress “Dr. Rafael Cos Octa”, who entered the Central Committee last February 14.
The missing person is Rafael Boss, a former senator candidate and former director of the National Competition Council, who finished 35th with 39.69% of the vote.
Five over 70
The oldest member of the political committee was Uglytes Gutierrez Felix, 83, with 38.29% of the vote, and ranked 40th in the poll.
The next is Lidio Cadet, 77, who has been a member of the PLD since its inception in 1973. He was approved by the political committee after reaching 43.01%.
Former Education Minister Alejandrina Germain is 72 years old, again a member of the Political Bureau with 65.30% of the vote, remaining in the top 10.
Rhodes Segura and Demistocles Montes, the organisation’s former president, topped the list with 71, followed by 70.
Former President Danilo Medina is now 69 years old.
In points
Inaugurated on Sunday
The new political committee will take office tomorrow, Sunday, during the closing session of the Bide Medina Congress in Joao. That will be when Medina presents her plans to be implemented as the new leader of the PLD, as well as the Secretary-General, like Mariotti.
