The Dominican Republic will hold its presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday. While incumbent Luis Abinader of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) is currently leading in the polls, he faces stiff competition from former president Leonel Fernandez and former mayor of Santiago, Abel Martinez. If no candidate receives over 50% of the vote, a runoff election will be held on June 30th.
Despite the ongoing crisis in neighboring Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, all presidential candidates are in favor of continuing to deport Haitians without residency permits.
The Dominican Republic has recently emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America, thanks to its popularity as a tourist destination and its recovery from the decline in tourism during the pandemic. Last year, it welcomed over ten million visitors for the first time since the pandemic began.
As such, this election is expected to have significant implications for the country’s future, particularly in terms of its economic development and relationships with neighboring countries.
