A day after the 26 April 2015 primary held by Dominican Republic’s Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) to choose their presidential candidate for the 2016 election, former President Hipolito Mejia conceded defeat and acknowledged Luis Abinader’s victory. Abinader was Mejia’s vice presidential candidate in the 2012 presidential election when he lost to President Danilo Medina.

“I promised the Dominican people that I would play a democratic role, not that of a leader, I am not interested in being a leader. I am a simple party director for the commitment to Dominican democracy. I am here to congratulate Luis and tell him that we are a soldier of this party and Dominican democracy,” he said when addressing Abinader and his followers.

Mejia said that those who were expecting shootings and deaths during the PRM primaries had seen the reverse happen.

He visited Luis Abinader‘s campaign headquarters accompanied by his son Felipe, his former campaign head Cesar Cedeno and his brother-in-law, Sergio Grullon.

Abinader was there with his wife, Raquel Arbaje, and his daughter Esther.

Mejia said that there had been some problems with the process and they would issue a detailed report to be given to the committee that organized the voting. Meanwhile the final bulletin is due today, Tuesday 28 April 2015.