Leonel Fernández, president of the Fuerza del Pueblo (FP) and a former president of the Dominican Republic, warned that the number of people registered with a political party is not enough on its own to guarantee an election win. He called on the organization to work on building loyalty among its registered members and strengthening its grassroots structures.
Fernández said being affiliated with the party is insufficient, pointing to the results of the 2024 elections as proof.
The lesson from the 2024 elections
Fernández said one of the main lessons from the 2024 electoral process was the difference between having a large number of affiliates and having an organization capable of mobilizing them and turning that registration into actual support at the polls.
According to a press release from the party, Fernández said the party's vote was higher in the places where it was organized through grassroots, provincial and municipal leadership structures.
Fernández previously served three terms as president of the Dominican Republic and founded Fuerza del Pueblo in 2019 after breaking from the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), which he had led for years. FP contested the 2024 general elections as an opposition force.
Building loyalty among members
Fernández said that, based on that experience, the FP is now working on validating and building loyalty among its registered membership, as well as strengthening the connection between its grassroots leadership and the voting precincts and electoral colleges where members actually cast ballots.
He said winning power takes much more than simply wanting to win an election, and that the party has to combine organization, planning and preparation of its structures. Power is not achieved just because one wants it, he said, but requires organizing and planning for victory.
Fernández said Fuerza del Pueblo has a presence in the country's provinces, municipalities and municipal districts, as well as in communities of the Dominican diaspora, but said the challenge now is turning that territorial presence into an effective electoral structure.
Political communication training
Fernández made the comments during a training session on strategic political communication held at the Casa del Pueblo Johnny Ventura, one of two events organized by the FP's Secretariat of Political Formation.
He used the occasion to highlight the ongoing training of party leaders and teams as part of the organization's preparation. He said he has always said that one of the goals for Fuerza del Pueblo is to turn the party into a permanent center of learning.
Who led the sessions
The sessions were organized by the Secretariat of Political Formation, headed by Nathanael Concepción, with the participation of Rafael Rubio and Felipe Fuster, professors at the Complutense University of Madrid who specialize in political communication and strategy.
The first session was aimed at FP senators, deputies, mayors, council members and other elected officials, together with their communication teams. It was coordinated with the party's secretariats of Municipal Affairs and Legislative Affairs.
The second session was held in coordination with the Secretariat of Communications and the Special Unit for Strategic Communication, with the participation of vice secretaries, communication officials from different party demarcations, social media managers and leaders from related areas.
Communication as part of strategy
Fernández also highlighted the role of communication within the organization's political strategy, saying that without communication there is no politics.
He said training, territorial organization, loyalty among affiliates and effective communication are all part of the preparation process the party is carrying out ahead of its coming electoral goals.
