- Title: President Medina closes out campaign in Dominican Republic
- Date: 13th May 2016
- Summary: MORE OF MEDINA PASSING THOUGH SUPPORTERS THROUGH ROOF OF CAR AT NIGHT RALLY
- Embargoed: 28th May 2016 03:55
- Keywords: Danilo Medina Santo Domingo PLD Haiti
- Location: SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
- City: SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
- Country: Dominican Republic
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0054HN396R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The incumbent president of the Dominican Republic is eyeing a smooth first-round victory in Sunday's (May 15) presidential election, four years after eking out a close win.
Danilo Medina was in the Cristo Rey neighbourhood in Santo Domingo for his campaign close Thursday (May 12), cruising through in a caravan while greeting supporters through the roof of a car.
Supporters danced in the streets and held up four fingers in a plea for four more years.
"We have worked to win in the first round. That is what we are hoping for," Medina said, as he squares off against seven candidates in the Sunday vote in his to reach a majority and avoid a run-off.
Polls shows Medina in the lead, reaching as high as 60 percent support.
His prospects weren't always so bullish, but a booming economy backed by tourism and diversification in sectors like mining has buoyed Medina, as he successfully sought to extend term limits for the presidency.
"In the National District to support the candidates of the PLD (Dominican Liberal Party), I want to say to you all that we are finishing the campaign with a 64 percent against 29 percent, which indicates that if the elections were today, there's no doubt we would win it," he said. He pressed supporters to make sure they come out.
Medina's good fortune has been marred by swirling corruption charges which even saw a political adviser being ensnared in Brazil's ongoing political crisis.
This past summer, he also oversaw the establishment of a residency programme that granted two-year temporary migrant status after a court ruling stripped children of Haitian migrants born in the Dominican Republic of their Dominican nationality. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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