US embassy cable - 04SANTODOMINGO2526

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 002526 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA AND DRL 
NSC FOR SHANNON AND MADISON 
LABOR FOR ILAB 
TREASURY FOR OASIA-LAMONICA 
USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION 
USDOC FOR 3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH 
DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: DR, PGOV 
SUBJECT:  DOMINICAN ELECTION # 40: FERNANDEZ CONFIDENT BUT 
CONCERNED ABOUT FRAUD 
 
 
1. (SBU) This is no. 40 in our series on the Dominican 
presidential election: 
 
FERNANDEZ CONCERNED ABOUT FRAUD BUT CONFIDENT IN ABILITY TO 
RESTORE PROGRESS 
 
On April 13 at luncheon with the Ambassador PLD presidential 
candidate Leonel Fernandez spent the first third of the 
encounter focusing on concerns over possible electoral fraud. 
Fernandez then contrasted his previous administration and the 
current PLD platform with the "flawed" Mejia administration. 
Fernandez confirmed that if elected, he would maintain strong 
relations with the United States. 
 
With polls now showing the PLD margin lower than before, 
Fernandez, VP candidate Rafael Albuquerque, advisor and 2000 
presidential candidate Danilo Medina, and "ideologue" 
Temistocleses Montas identified various relatively minor 
technical problems with the electoral process, they avowed 
themselves more concerned with President Mejia's 
authoritarian tendencies.  Fernandez went so far as to say 
Mejia resembled dictator Trujillo in some ways and noted that 
Mejia's father was named in honor of the dictator.  Fernandez 
warned that Mejia was using extensive public resources and 
might employ intimidation tactics to ensure his reelection 
bid. 
 
The Ambassador outlined U.S measures to reinforce the 
election process and shifted the conversation towards 
perspectives of a PLD government toward the United States. 
The PLD is the only major Dominican party to have published a 
detailed platform, but its platform is noticeably vague with 
respect to bilateral relations with the United States. 
Fernandez emphasized that the Dominican Republic will be an 
unconditional U.S. ally in the fight against terrorism.  He 
will support existing cooperative efforts with the U.S. 
government in areas such as extradition, counter-narcotics, 
free trade, and trafficking in persons. 
 
The tone of the PLD luncheon was positive and the content 
generally substantive.  Fernandez, a lawyer educated in the 
United States, uses an intellectual social science 
perspective to analyze Dominican politics.  His positive 
electoral prospects are due in large part to the positive 
performance of the Dominican economy throughout his previous 
administration -- results not entirely of his own making. The 
PLD platform promises to promote economic growth while 
enacting further modernization and privatization reforms. 
Though concerned about the prospect of his main opponent 
resorting dirty fighting in the final weeks, Fernandez 
appears confident in his ability to recapture the presidency 
and eventually to restore economic progress in the Dominican 
Republic. 
 
2.  (U) Drafted by Clare Ribando. 
 
3.  (U) This report and others in this series can be read on 
the SIPRNET at 
http://www.state.gov/p/pwha/santodomingo/inde x.cfm 
along with extensive other current material. 
HERTELL