Dominican Republic

A 60-year-old economist, the ruling party’s candidate, was declared the winner of Sunday’s presidential election in this Spanish-speaking nation that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, election officials said early Monday.

With more than 60 per cent of the votes counted, the Central Election Board (JCE) said the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (DLP) candidate, Danilo Medina, won 51.4 per cent of the vote against 46.7 per cent for the opposition Dominican Revolutionary Party’s (PRD) 71-year-old candidate, Hipolito Mejia.

More than six million voters were eligible to cast their ballots in this election, including some 300,000 Dominicans living overseas, mostly in the United States, who were allowed to cast absentee ballots for the first time.

Medina has had a significant role in making economic policy within the administration of outgoing President Leonel Fernandez, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term. Medina has promised to boost growth in an economy based on tourism and manufacturing while Mejia has vowed to fight corruption and boost jobs.