Opposition leader asks to be protected from his colleagues

Santo Domingo.- The president of Dominican Republic’s opposition party (PRD) on Monday asked the authorities to protect its national headquarters as well as any other place chosen for the meeting of its senior leadership (CEN), just hours after former president Hipolito Mejia and PRD deputy Esther Minyeti threatened to disrupt the gathering violently.

Miguel Vargas requested that the Electoral Tribunal (TSE) order the protection “under extreme urgency,” by the Interior and Police Ministry and the National Police, basing its request on statements from Mejia and his close collaborators that they’ll attend the CEN meeting “wherever it’s held."

The TSE set a hearing for Thursday, and PRD lawyers Eduardo Jorge, Santiago Rodriguez and Jose Miguel Vasquez said Vargas’ request is also based on the challenge filed by 69 PRD against the legality of the CEN meeting.