Dominican Revolutionary Party

The Dominican Revolutionary Party (Spanish: Partido Revolucionario Dominicano, PRD) is one of the main political parties of the Dominican Republic. Traditionally a left of the centre position and social democratic in name, the party has shifted since the 2000s toward the centre.[2][3] The party’s distinctive color is white. Traditionally, the party has two presidents: the "Titular President" and the "Acting President" (and actually, a sort of Vice-President); until 2010 the Presidents and the Secretary-General were proscribed to run for any elected office.[6]

Dominican Revolutionary Party

Partido Revolucionario Dominicano
AbbreviationPRD
PresidentMiguel Vargas
General SecretaryTony Peña Guaba (2014–present)
First SecretaryDanilo Rafael Junior Santos (until 2014)
PresidiumAníbal Díaz Belliard
(2014–present)
SpokespersonRuddy González (2014–present)[1]
FounderJuan Bosch
Founded21 January 1939 (1939-01-21)
HeadquartersAvenida Jiménez Moya, Santo Domingo
Youth wingJuventud Revolucionaria Dominicana
IdeologySocial democracy
Populism
Factions
Third Way
Social liberalism
Democratic socialism
Liberal conservatism
Political positionCentre-left[2][3]
Regional affiliationCOPPPAL
International affiliationSocialist International
Progressive Alliance
Colours          Lightblue and white
SloganSoberania Nacional, Libertad, Democracia y Justicia Social (National Sovereignty, Freedom, Democracy and Social Justice)
Anthem
"Himno del Partido Revolucionario Dominicano"
"Hymn of Dominican Revolutionary Party"
Chamber of Deputies[4]
16 / 190
Senate[5]
1 / 32
Mayors[5]
57 / 155
Central American Parliament[5]
3 / 20
Website
prd.org.do

The party was founded in 1939 by several Dominican expatriated exiles living in Havana, Cuba, led by Juan Bosch. It was then established in the Dominican Republic on July 5, 1961. It was the first Dominican party based on populist and democratic leftist principles and an organization based on mass membership. Bosch was elected president in 1962 in what is generally believed to be the first honest election in the country's history. Bosch later left the party in a dispute over its ideological direction, and founded the Dominican Liberation Party on December 16, 1973.

The PRD has won the presidency three other times—in 1978 (Antonio Guzmán), 1982 (Salvador Jorge Blanco) and 2000 (Hipólito Mejía).

At the legislative elections, on the 16 May 2002, the party won 41.9% of the popular vote and 73 out of 150 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 29 out of 31 seats in the Senate of the Dominican Republic. Its candidate at the presidential election on the 16th of May 2004, Hipólito Mejía, won 33.6% of the votes, failing to win a second term.

In the 16 May 2006 legislative elections, the party formed together with its traditional opponent, the Social Christian Reformist Party, and others the Grand National Alliance, that won only 82 out of 178 deputies and 10 out of 32 senators. The Dominican Revolutionary Party led the alliance, however, winning about 60 seats in the chamber of deputies and 6 in the Senate.

The party has been criticized for involvement in corruption, allowing right-wing paramilitary groups to operate from its soil for attacks launched into Haiti, and for becoming an increasingly conservative party serving the interests of transnational capital over the poor majority. The last PRD president, Hipólito Mejía, has been especially criticized for supporting the Iraq War.[7]

Electoral history

Presidential elections
Election Party candidate Votes % Votes % Result
First Round Second Round
1962 Juan Bosch 628,044 59.5% - - Elected Y
1966 525,230 39.0% - - Lost N
1970 Did not contest the election
1974
1978 Antonio Guzmán Fernández 866,912 52.4% - - Elected Y
1982 Salvador Jorge Blanco 854,868 46.7% - - Elected Y
1986 Jacobo Majluta 828,209 39.2% - - Lost N
1990 José Francisco Peña Gómez 449,399 23.33% - - Lost N
1994 1,253,179 41.6% - - Lost N
1996 1,130,523 38.9% 1,466,382 51.3% Lost N
2000 Hipólito Mejía 1,593,231 49.87% - - Elected Y
2004 1,215,928 33.7% - - Lost N
2008 Miguel Vargas 1,654,066 40.48% - - Lost N
2012 Hipólito Mejía 2,130,189 46.95% - - Lost N

Congressional elections
Election Votes % Chamber seats +/– Position Senate seats +/– Position
1962 592,088 56.5%
49 / 74
 49 1st
22 / 27
 22 1st
1966 494,570 36.8%
26 / 91
 23 2nd
5 / 91
 17 2nd
1970 Did not contest the election
0 / 91
 26
0 / 27
 5
1974
0 / 91
0 / 27
1978 838,973 50.1%
48 / 91
 48 1st
16 / 27
 16 1st
1982 825,005 45.7%
62 / 120
 14 1st
17 / 27
 1 1st
1986 828,209 39.2%

in alliance with PPC, MCN, UD, LE
48 / 120
 14 2nd
7 / 30
 10 2nd
1990 447,605 23.4%

in alliance with BS and PTD
33 / 120
 15 3nd
2 / 30
 5 3nd
1994 1,244,441 41.9%

in alliance with UD, PRI, BIS, PQD, ASD, PNVC,
57 / 120
 24 1st
15 / 30
 13 1st
1998 1,075,306 51.4%

in alliance with UD, MCN, PPC, BIS
83 / 149
 26 1st
24 / 30
 9 1st
2002 963,735 42.2%

in alliance with UD, ASD, PRN
73 / 150
 10 1st
29 / 30
 5 1st
2006 931,151 31.13%

as part of the GNA
60 / 178
 10 2nd
7 / 32
 22 2nd
2010 1,272,536 38.44%
73 / 183
 13 2nd
0 / 32
 7
2016 336,201 7.83%
16 / 190
 61 4th
1 / 32
 1 4th

References
  1. "Ruddy González es el nuevo vocero diputados PRD". Proceso. 23 July 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  2. Guzmán Then, Abel (13 June 2014). "El PRD requiere de una seria reorientación ideológica hacia la izquierda democrática". Diario Libre. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  3. "Ramón Alburquerque: El PRD parece un partido neoliberal a la derecha del PLD". elbarahonero.com. November 2010. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  4. "Busque sus Diputados" (in Spanish). Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  6. "PRD deroga de estatutos el artículo 185, que impedía a Vargas postularse a la Presidencia" (in Spanish). Santo Domingo: Listín Diario. 28 February 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  7. Sprague, 2013


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