Following are a cross-section of points of view about the Mexican state elections of July 4.
An Anti-Incumbancy Wave -- in Mexico On Sunday, in 14 of Mexico's 32 states, millions of citizens went to the polls and, defying the threat of violence from drug cartels, decisively consolidated our young democracy..... They did not, as had been feared, simply entrust local government in all 14 states to the PRI...What voters did in many places was simply vote out corrupt or inefficient incumbent governors, mayors and other state and local officials -- regrardless of party. Now, though the return of the PRI in 2012 is still probable, it is no longer inevitable. July 6, 2010, NY Times OpEd by Enrique Krauze, editor of the magazine Letras Libres and author of "Mexico: Biography of Power."
Two parties claim victory in Mexico state elections after campaign marred by violence Turnout was low, but not as low as feared. The vote Sunday took place against a backdrop of sensational violence.... But all in all, the 2010 elections in Mexico were relatively calm. Both major parties claimed victory. July 6, 2010, Washington Post.
Winners and Losers
Win: without a doubt, the PAN-PRD alliance. They picked up three governorships (Oaxaca, Puebla, and Sinaloa) that would have never been one by either party alone. They were in it in Durango and garnered admirable numbers in Hidalgo. July 5, 2010, Mexico Institute/Milenio (from article in Spanish)
Vote shows Mexicans have little faith in any party The mixed outcome in elections across 15 states showed no party has won the faith of Mexicans desperate to bring their country out of a quagmire of economic stagnation and relentless gang wars, July 5, 2010, AP
Autonomous Triqui Community Wary of New Oaxaca Government The autonomous indigenous Triqui community of San Juan Copala, in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, is maintaining a cautious attitude towards the state government to take power after winning Sunday's elections. The community is made up of 786 people and declared autonomy in 2007. Since January it has been under a blockade, enforced by paramilitaries belonging to the Union for the Wellbeing of the Triqui Region (UBISORT). UBISORT is an illegal armed group accused of ties with the current state government, led by Governor Ulises Ruiz, of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which has governed the state for eight decades. July 5, 2010, InterPress Service
Mexican Democracy, Even Under Seige Mexico's voters.... turned out in relatively large numbers to choose new governors, mayors and state representatives over the weekend and managed to send an inspiring message amid all the violence. Mexico's democracy, flawed as it may be, endures. July 5, 2010, NY Times
Is any of this, in your estimation, true, Laura?
ReplyDeleteI saw that Lopez Obrador said that the only positive gain was the removal of URO in Oaxaca. I see also that the Post is discounting the PRD as a major party.
It's hard for me to see any of this as good news. PAN seems to me to be the servant of transnational corporations. The PRI, for all its many faults, seemed to have some sense of national pride.
I think this collection of articles shows that there is a lot of confusion about the upshot of the elections. I've been traveling so will post the elections articles today (a bit late) but I think the removal of URO and the PRI machine in Oaxaca is important but I agree that there is little good news. For the first time, drug war violence played a visible role, and the PRD has become something unrecognizable in political terms. As for choosing between the PRI and PAN, in most places it is a wretched choice, since both support the same economic policies and anti-democratic governance.
ReplyDelete