Deligne Ascención rules out premature electoral projections for 2028
The executive vice president of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), Deligne Ascención, described attempts to anticipate the results of the 2028 elections as lacking political objectivity. According to the ruling party leader, the current electoral scenario is dynamic and does not allow for determining with precision whether a future contest would be decided in the first or second round.
These statements arise in response to the accusations of leader Tony Peña Guaba, who recently expressed doubts about the current support for the ruling party and the challenges the organization would face to achieve an electoral victory in the first round.
Any measurement, I don’t know the basis Tony was referring to, but what I have read about him saying that with these numbers there will be a first or second round, that makes no sense and has no political objectivity.
Deligne Ascención, executive vice president of the PRM
The difference between party and candidate
Ascención emphasized that current polls, which place the PRM in a range between 38% and 42%, should not be taken as a definitive projection. The leader clarified that there is a substantial difference between partisan sympathy and the support that a presidential figure manages to gather.
- The joint contribution between the party structure and the figure of the candidate is what determines success in an electoral process.
- In 2024, the PRM obtained nearly 48% as an organization, while President Luis Abinader reached approximately 57% of the votes.
- Candidacies have the potential to significantly expand the electoral support of political organizations.
The ruling party leader stressed that, just like the PRM, opposition parties will see variations in their approval ratings as the electoral cycle approaches. Therefore, he considers it inopportune to try to define the outcome of the 2028 elections at this time.
Heading to the 2027 primaries
With less than two years until the definition of candidacies, the PRM is focused on maintaining internal cohesion. According to the established schedule, the organization plans to hold its primaries in October 2027, a process that will be carried out using a closed registry to ensure the participation of its membership.
With this approach, the PRM leadership seeks to move the debate away from momentary speculation and focus efforts on institutional strengthening in the face of the country’s upcoming democratic challenges.
