Dominican Republic Elects a Lebanese President

posted on: Jul 8, 2020

By: Laila Shadid/Arab America Contributing Writer

“Un país para su gente”: “A country for its people.”

This was the slogan Luis Rodolfo Abinader used for his 2020 presidential campaign in the Dominican Republic.

On Monday, the Lebanese-Dominican businessman won with 53 percent of the vote.

Since 2004, the center-left Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) was in control, headed by Danilo Medina. In his second attempt at the presidency, Abinader took power with the Modern Revolutionary Party (RPM).

Despite the pandemic, voter turnout was high with 7.3 million voters from 32 provinces. Abinader himself recently recovered from the infectious virus after his wife tested positive, just in time to celebrate his victory. As of July 7, the country has recorded 37,425 cases and 794 deaths due to COVID-19.

Abinader is a businessman, economist, and politician. Similarly, his father, José Rafael Abinader Wassaf, was a politician, with roots in Baskinta, Mount Lebanon. José ran for president three times without success, and held the position of senator for the Dominican Revolutionary Party from 1998 to 2002, among other high-ranking positions.

José’s presidential aspirations were finally achieved through his son, Luis.

The Abinader legacy lies in more than just politics. This Lebanese family has made significant contributions to public policy, education, and healthcare in the Dominican Republic.

The Abinader Family Commitment to Public Service

The brutal dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo characterized Dominican politics from 1930 to his assassination in 1961. A year before Trujillo took power, José, the president-elect’s father, was born to Lebanese parents. José grew up in poverty in the province of Santiago. He wanted to attend university in Santo Domingo and study engineering, but could not afford the bus fare to get to the capital.

It took José three years to reach the University of Santo Domingo, and in the meantime, he learned typewriting and some accounting skills. Once he arrived, he was forced to switch majors from engineering to law, because the major did not offer night classes; this was the only time José was available while working as a typist for the Secretary of Finance, the job he used to pay his tuition.

After obtaining a master’s degree in public policy, José became a leading figure in the fight against Trujillo and social justice in the Dominican Republic. Additionally, he founded La Universidad Dominicana O&M, one of the top universities in the country. His philosophy was that investing in education and fighting against corruption would create a more equitable society.

 

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Seré el presidente de todos mis conciudadanos sin distinción alguna. ¡Ganó el país, ganamos todos!

A post shared by Luis Abinader (@luisabinader) on Jul 7, 2020 at 8:01am PDT

Luis ran with four pillars for change: (1) higher employment rates, (2) criminal justice system reform, (3) improvement in education quality, and (4) commitment to end corruption and impunity.

From his father, Luis inherited a commitment to public service.

President’s Lebanese Origin

The Abinaders’ hometown of Baskinta, Mount Lebanon, is a Christian village in the mountains near Beirut, famous for its “slightly tart apples.” President-elect Abinader’s grandfather, José S. Abinader, immigrated from Baskinta to the Dominican Republic in 1898.

Abinader is not the first Lebanese president of the Dominican Republic. From 1978 to 1982, Jacobo Majluta Azar served as vice president to Antonio Guzmán, and then served as president for 42 days after Guzmán committed suicide.

In fact, there are Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian communities in the country who immigrated from the Ottoman Empire in the 20th century. Arab culture has been infused in food, culture, and events in the Dominican Republic. Evidently, Arab-Dominicans have also had an active role in politics.

Abinader’s election reflects Arab influence and reach across the world. Abinader is dedicated to justice and change in the Dominican Republic, a figure the Lebanese community and larger Arab World can be proud of.

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