Weekly Report - 2 March 2004

However inaccurate opinion polls may be, those conducted in the Dominican Republic seem to be showing a very clear trend: voter preferences are clearly tilted towards former President Leonel Fernández, and away from reelection bent President Hipólito Mejí­a. The latest Gallup poll, mirroring one produced in January by Penn Schoen, shows Fernández headed for a comfortable first-round victory — if the election is clean. It also shows a substantial majority convinced that there will be fraud.