| Dominican Liberation Party Partido de la Liberación Dominicana |
|
|---|---|
| Leader | Leonel Fernández |
| Founded | 15 December 1973 |
| Headquarters | Independence Avenue 401, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Ideology | Social democracy Social liberalism Third way |
| Political position | Centre/Centre-left |
| National affiliation | Progressive Bloc |
| International affiliation | Foro de São Paulo |
| Official colors | Violet and yellow |
| Website | |
| www.pld.org.do | |
| Politics of the Dominican Republic Political parties Elections |
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The Dominican Liberation Party (Spanish: Partido de la Liberación Dominicana, or PLD) is one of the main political parties of the Dominican Republic, and has a centrist position.
The party has been elected into office thrice now with Leonel Fernández as President of the Dominican Republic in the 1996, 2004 and 2008 elections, though losing in 2000. In May 2006 the party and its allies gained control of both houses of Congress.
At the legislative elections, 16 May 2002, the party won 29.1 % of the popular vote and 41 out of 150 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 2 out of 31 seats in the Senate. Its candidate at the presidential election of 16 May 2004, Leonel Fernández, won 57.1 % of the vote.
Founded by Juan Bosch in 1973, the PLD originally was considerably to the left of Bosch's original party, the Dominican Revolutionary Party. Today the party is seen gravitating towards a center-right platform agreeing with many of its neoliberal policies. Bosch ran for president as the party’s candidate several times, but did not win. Following Bosch’s retirement, Fernandez became the leader of the party and won the 1996 presidential elections after forming an alliance with Dr. Joaquín Balaguer, Bosch’s political enemy for over 30 years. He did not run for another term in 2000, but returned to the presidency in 2004. The party's logo is a yellow five-pointed star on a purple background.
In the 16 May 2006 legislative elections, the party led the Progressive Bloc, that won 96 out of 178 deputies and 22 out of 32 senators.
On May 16, 2008, presidential elections were carried and PLD's candidate won 54%, defeating 7 other presidential candidates.
On May 16, 2010, congressional and municipal elections held, the Dominican Liberation Party won a majority of Senators (31 of 32) and Representatives, as well the largest number of mayors around the country.