Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader Wins Second Term in Elections

Preliminary Results Show Abinader with a Wide Margin of Victory

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has won a second term in elections, clinching victory in the first round, according to preliminary results. The hugely popular president vowed unity and impartial leadership as he declared victory after rivals conceded on Sunday night, having secured a sufficiently wide margin to win without needing to go to a second-round face-off.

Abinader’s Win Appears to be an Endorsement of His Handling of the Economy and Tough Policies towards Migration

Abinader’s win appears to be an endorsement of his handling of the economy and tough policies towards migration from neighbouring Haiti. With just over half of voting centres reporting late on Sunday, Abinader held 58.85 percent of the vote. His closest rival, three-time former President Leonel Fernandez, was sat on 27.29 percent, preliminary data from electoral authorities showed.

Abinader’s Campaign Promises and Policies

Abinader, a US-trained economist of Lebanese descent, was elected during the COVID pandemic in 2020 on promises of restoring trust in the government after several high-profile corruption scandals embroiling public officials in the top tourist destination. Once in office, he began building a 164km (102-mile) concrete wall along the border with Haiti to keep out undocumented migrants. He had more than 250,000 migrants deported in 2023, despite international pressure for the country to welcome more refugees.

Voter Reactions

Voter Willy Soto, 21, was among the crowd outside Abinader’s campaign headquarters. He voiced approval for the migrant crackdown. “This isn’t a problem that gets resolved one day to the next,” Soto said. “The policies he’s implemented, how he’s cracked down, closed the border and built a wall, I feel like it’s a good initiative to control the problem of Haitian migration.”

Another voter Javier Taveras, 38, told the AFP news agency that he “likes the current position of maintaining sovereignty,” though not “the abuse against our Haitian brothers”. As for the border wall, “I don’t know how effective it is,” he said.

International Observers and Election Results

Voters said they felt satisfied with the electoral process, according to Luis Fortuno, an international observer for the election and a former governor of Puerto Rico. “In general the electoral process was carried out correctly, openly and democratically,” Fortuno said. The election outcome reinforced Abinader’s major policies, which include an anticorruption agenda and a crackdown along the shared border with Haiti and the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing the violence-stricken neighbour.

Conclusion

In conclusion, President Luis Abinader’s win in the Dominican Republic’s elections is a significant endorsement of his handling of the economy and tough policies towards migration. While the migrant policy is popular among Dominicans, it has drawn sharp criticisms from human rights groups that call it racist and a violation of international law.

FAQs

Q: What was the outcome of the election?
A: President Luis Abinader won a second term in elections, clinching victory in the first round with 58.85 percent of the vote.

Q: What were Abinader’s campaign promises?
A: Abinader was elected on promises of restoring trust in the government after several high-profile corruption scandals and implementing tough policies towards migration from neighbouring Haiti.

Q: What is the reaction of voters to the election results?
A: Voters said they felt satisfied with the electoral process, and many voiced approval for Abinader’s migrant crackdown policy.

Q: What are the criticisms of Abinader’s policies?
A: Human rights groups have criticized Abinader’s policies as racist and a violation of international law.

Q: What is the significance of Abinader’s win?
A: Abinader’s win is a significant endorsement of his handling of the economy and tough policies towards migration, and it reinforces his major policies, including an anticorruption agenda and a crackdown along the shared border with Haiti.