Hipólito Mejía, serving president (2000-2004), representing the Dominican Revolutionary Party seeking immediate re-election.
Acosta-Núñez received a number of awards, including being knighted by two different presidents into the Order of Duarte, Joaquín Balaguer and former president Hipólito Mejía, being inducted into the Dominican Sports Hall of Fame and being six times elected by the Sportwriters Association of Santo Domingo as "Chronicler of the Year".
Mejía's first presidential campaign in 2000 won him the first Dominican presidency under then new electoral rules that required a "50 más 1" (50 percent plus one of the total votes in order to win in the first voting round.) This was in stark contrast to the late PRD leader, José Francisco Peña Gómez, who unsuccessfully ran for office three times consecutively (1990, 1994 and 1996) and never received the support that Mejia received in his first attempt.
The construction of HOMS was paralyzed for three years due to the country suffering economic difficulties during the PRD government headed by Hipólito Mejía.
He has received numerous honors including “Person of the Week” by Peter Jennings of ABC World News Tonight, the Pace Humanitarian Award, and “The Order of Christopher Columbus” by Hipólito Mejía, President of the Dominican Republic.
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President Hipolito Mejia La Orden Heraldica de Cristobal Colon Dominican Republic (The Order of Christopher Columbus) (Awarded for Heart Care International's humanitarian heart surgery missions) March 17, 2003
Miguel Aceves Mejía | Hipólito Yrigoyen | Hipólito Mejía | Carlos Mejía Godoy | Mejía District | Pedro Mejía | Mário Hipólito | María Isabel Mejía Marulanda | Instituto Nacional Mejía | Hipolito Mejia | Hipolito F. Garcia Federal Building and United States Courthouse | Gerardo Mejía | Carlos Mejia Godoy |