Ex-Leader Reclaims Dominican Presidency
By PETER PRENGAMAN
Associated Press Writer
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -- Former Dominican leader Leonel Fernandez reclaimed the presidency in a vote that reflected frustration with the nation's worst economic crisis in decades, sending his supporters dancing in the streets of Santo Domingo on Monday.
Fernandez praised incumbent President Hipolito Mejia for his "good sense and generosity" in promptly conceding defeat in Sunday's vote, calling it a victory for democracy in a country where past votes have been tainted by fraud.
"This fight is now over. We'll now extend the olive branch," Fernandez told more than 1,000 supporters who responded with surges of applause and shouts.
Fernandez, who was president from 1996-2000, greeted followers with hearty embraces while revelers rode through the streets in caravans, hanging out car windows and waving purple-and-yellow party flags.
Fireworks exploded in the sky over Santo Domingo while Fernandez loyalists passed around bottles of Presidente beer and Brugal rum. Hundreds danced outside his party headquarters to a merengue beat, screaming the campaign slogan: "Out they go!"
The phrase resonated with Dominicans desperate for relief from a severe economic downturn. Under Mejia, prices of staples such as eggs and rice tripled or quadrupled as the peso's value plunged. Thousands of jobs have disappeared, and those with work often complain their pay can't keep up with rising costs.
"I hope Leonel will somehow change the situation. We couldn't take it anymore," said Miguelina Sanchez, a 22-year-old student who joined the celebration.
Late Sunday Mejia told reporters he was conceding defeat, saying exit polls found Fernandez would win with 54 percent of the vote.
"I congratulate the Dominican Liberation Party and President Leonel Fernandez," Mejia said. "He who won won and he who lost lost. I believe in democracy."
At the time only 3 percent of results had been announced. By early Monday, with about half the results tallied, Fernandez had 54 percent to Mejia's 36 percent, while third candidate Eduardo Estrella trailed with 10 percent. Full preliminary results were expected later Monday.
Despite thousands of police and soldiers posted to keep security, the vote saw scattered complaints of irregularities and violence that left at least three dead and three wounded.
A clash broke out in a voting line in southwestern Barahona when a supporter of Mejia and a backer of Fernandez pulled guns and opened fire during an argument, killing each other and a third, said Moises Benamor, an observer from the Organization of American States.
On the outskirts of Santo Domingo, meanwhile, journalists saw armed men in a vehicle fire into the air and unsuccessfully try to steal ballot boxes in a clash that left one man with a stab wound in the thigh.
In several areas armed Mejia supporters threatened to take ballot boxes, said Fernandez electoral aide Cesar Pina Toribio.
Before results were announced, electoral liaison Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado noted on national television that Mejia pledged to stand by the result of a clean vote. "I would invite all the president's followers to respect that statement by the president - May no one think of harming this process," he said.
More than 200 international observers were on hand from the OAS and other groups. Chief OAS observer Santiago Murray praised what he said was a generally smooth vote.
An estimated 70 percent of 5 million registered voters cast ballots, roughly equivalent to the 72 percent who voted in 2000, Murray said.
For the first time Dominicans overseas also were allowed to vote in a list of cities from New York to Madrid.
Fernandez campaigned on pledges of cutting spending while renegotiating much of US$7.6 billion in foreign debt. He promised to reverse inflation and stabilize the economy through tight fiscal policies.
Last year inflation topped 43 percent as a fraud scandal toppled the country's second-largest bank, costing the national treasury US$2.2 billion.
"Leonel isn't going to be able to work magic. We know it will take time to improve the economy, but this gives us new hope," said Daniel Munoz, a 40-year-old supporter. "We've been living with so much uncertainty."
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