The Washington Post
April 18, 2013
MEXICO CITY — The head of Mexico’s Social Development department dismissed seven officials Thursday after some of them were mentioned in taped discussions about how to use anti-poverty programs to promote the governing party in upcoming local elections.
The dirty tricks discussed at the meetings included kicking opposition supporters off a federal program that provides small monthly stipends to poor families and handing out government-supplied wheelchairs in the name of the ruling party.
It reads like a laundry list of abuses from the past of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, known as the PRI, which ruled Mexico for seven decades with graft and handouts until it lost the presidency in the 2000 and the 2006 elections.
When Enrique Pena Nieto’s regained the presidency for the PRI last year, he said the party had reformed itself. But the tapes released by the conservative National Action Party reveal officials from the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, which is governed by the PRI, discussing how to get National Action supporters off government social programs and insert PRI supporters. Read more.
The MexicoBlog of the CIP Americas Program monitors and analyzes international press on Mexico with a focus on the US-backed War on Drugs in Mexico and the struggle in Mexico to strengthen the rule of law, justice and protection of human rights. Relevant political developments in both countries are also covered.
Showing posts with label PAN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PAN. Show all posts
Apr 20, 2013
Mar 29, 2013
Mexico Telecommunications Reform: Too Good to Be True?
HuffPost Blog
Irene Mia
March 28, 2013
A long-awaited telecommunications reform, presented to Congress on March 11 by Enrique Peña Nieto, was passed swiftly by the lower house with relative few modifications to its ambitious scope and is now set to be approved by the upper house in an unthinkable development just a few months ago when, in the run up to the presidential election (in July 2012), social protests, loosely coordinated by the #YoSoy132 student movement, erupted against media bias in favor of the now ruling Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI). More in general, the telecommunications reform, coupled with other significant steps made by Peña Nieto's administration to advance its reform agenda in just a few months may reassure those who were skeptical of the president's willingness and ability to challenge powerful interest groups (including unions, state government and business lobbies) which had historically been part of the PRI support base. The president has proven a master in pragmatic politics, as many other PRI leaders in the past, reaching out to the opposition and brokering deals outside and before presenting bills in Congress. Read more.
Irene Mia
March 28, 2013
A long-awaited telecommunications reform, presented to Congress on March 11 by Enrique Peña Nieto, was passed swiftly by the lower house with relative few modifications to its ambitious scope and is now set to be approved by the upper house in an unthinkable development just a few months ago when, in the run up to the presidential election (in July 2012), social protests, loosely coordinated by the #YoSoy132 student movement, erupted against media bias in favor of the now ruling Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI). More in general, the telecommunications reform, coupled with other significant steps made by Peña Nieto's administration to advance its reform agenda in just a few months may reassure those who were skeptical of the president's willingness and ability to challenge powerful interest groups (including unions, state government and business lobbies) which had historically been part of the PRI support base. The president has proven a master in pragmatic politics, as many other PRI leaders in the past, reaching out to the opposition and brokering deals outside and before presenting bills in Congress. Read more.
Mar 10, 2013
A traditionalist shines through Mexico's fresh new face
Los Angeles Times
MEXICO CITY — They elected a youthful president, a self-styled defender of democratic principles who promised to bring the country up to 21st century standards.
But many Mexicans suspected that an old-fashioned dinosaur heart was beating beneath Enrique Peña Nieto's smartly tailored suits, an inheritance from his Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, whose top-down, quasi-authoritarian rule defined much of Mexico's 20th century history.
On Sunday, after 100 days of living under Peña Nieto's rule, the Mexican people have a better idea of the ways in which their 46-year-old president, and his vintage political party, plan to manage the future of the United States' southern neighbor, a country rife with promise and peril. They are also discovering that Peña Nieto may be a kind of hybrid political creature, intent on effecting change while hewing to some of his party's older ways. Read more.
By Richard Fausset
March 10, 2013MEXICO CITY — They elected a youthful president, a self-styled defender of democratic principles who promised to bring the country up to 21st century standards.
But many Mexicans suspected that an old-fashioned dinosaur heart was beating beneath Enrique Peña Nieto's smartly tailored suits, an inheritance from his Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, whose top-down, quasi-authoritarian rule defined much of Mexico's 20th century history.
On Sunday, after 100 days of living under Peña Nieto's rule, the Mexican people have a better idea of the ways in which their 46-year-old president, and his vintage political party, plan to manage the future of the United States' southern neighbor, a country rife with promise and peril. They are also discovering that Peña Nieto may be a kind of hybrid political creature, intent on effecting change while hewing to some of his party's older ways. Read more.
Mar 6, 2013
Mexico wants U.S. ties to focus on economy, education, not drugs
Reuters
By Dave Graham
Mar 4, 2013
Mexico must give greater priority to economic cooperation and education in relations with the United States rather than allowing the fight against organized crime to take center stage, a senior Mexican official said on Monday.
Mexico has spent the past six years locked in a bloody fight with powerful drug cartels whose killings, kidnappings and extortion have marred the country's image, particularly in the United States, where it ships nearly 80 percent of its exports.
President Enrique Pena Nieto is keen to rewrite the script, focusing his efforts on the economy, which has grown at a faster pace than the United States' in the last three years.
Pena Nieto's conservative predecessor, Felipe Calderon, staked his name on crushing the gangs, but by the time he left office at the end of November nearly 70,000 people had died in the violence, and his efforts were widely condemned as a failure. Read more.
By Dave Graham
Mar 4, 2013
Mexico must give greater priority to economic cooperation and education in relations with the United States rather than allowing the fight against organized crime to take center stage, a senior Mexican official said on Monday.
Mexico has spent the past six years locked in a bloody fight with powerful drug cartels whose killings, kidnappings and extortion have marred the country's image, particularly in the United States, where it ships nearly 80 percent of its exports.
President Enrique Pena Nieto is keen to rewrite the script, focusing his efforts on the economy, which has grown at a faster pace than the United States' in the last three years.
Pena Nieto's conservative predecessor, Felipe Calderon, staked his name on crushing the gangs, but by the time he left office at the end of November nearly 70,000 people had died in the violence, and his efforts were widely condemned as a failure. Read more.
Sep 30, 2012
Mexico's lower house gives final approval to labor reform
(Reuters) Sep 29, 2012 - Mexico's lower house of Congress gave final approval on Saturday to a bill that would mark the biggest shake-up of the country's labor market in 42 years.
The final vote took place just before 4 a.m. following a raucous 14-hour debate that was led from a congressional balcony after leftist lawmakers stormed the chamber's rostrum and snatched the microphone from the speaker leading the session.
The bill was approved on a vote of 346-60 with one abstention and now moves to the Mexican Senate, which will have 30 days to approve or reject it.
In a show of cooperation between the outgoing and incoming administrations, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) of President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto supported the bill, which the PRI had gutted of measures aimed at curbing the power of unions. Read more.
The final vote took place just before 4 a.m. following a raucous 14-hour debate that was led from a congressional balcony after leftist lawmakers stormed the chamber's rostrum and snatched the microphone from the speaker leading the session.
The bill was approved on a vote of 346-60 with one abstention and now moves to the Mexican Senate, which will have 30 days to approve or reject it.
In a show of cooperation between the outgoing and incoming administrations, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) of President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto supported the bill, which the PRI had gutted of measures aimed at curbing the power of unions. Read more.
Sep 13, 2012
What is President Calderon's future?
Mexico Unmasked: September 9th 2012
The subject of Felipe Calderon’s post-presidency has lingered for much of the year. What will he do once he leaves office Dec. 1? How does he plan to keep his wife and three children safe from gangsters?
Calderon is on a trip to the Far East. He was in Vladivostok for an APEC forum yesterday and is in Singapore on a state visit now.
Los Pinos has sent around a transcript of a press conference Calderon gave while in Russia, and one of the questions was about his plans upon leaving office.
He responded, in part: “I have not yet decided on my future. I'm analyzing the various options presented to me. My priority is, in any case, my family, my children's education and, of course, finding the best options for developing an academic career, which is what I’ll most likely do after the presidency.”
Among Calderon’s apparent concerns for the future is whether victims of violence may come after him in court as they have done against Ernesto Zedillo, who served 1994-2000 and current teaches at Yale. On this front, Calderon (and Zedillo) got good news last week. The U.S. government believes Zedillo should enjoy immunity from prosecution. Read more.
The subject of Felipe Calderon’s post-presidency has lingered for much of the year. What will he do once he leaves office Dec. 1? How does he plan to keep his wife and three children safe from gangsters?
Calderon is on a trip to the Far East. He was in Vladivostok for an APEC forum yesterday and is in Singapore on a state visit now.
Los Pinos has sent around a transcript of a press conference Calderon gave while in Russia, and one of the questions was about his plans upon leaving office.
He responded, in part: “I have not yet decided on my future. I'm analyzing the various options presented to me. My priority is, in any case, my family, my children's education and, of course, finding the best options for developing an academic career, which is what I’ll most likely do after the presidency.”
Among Calderon’s apparent concerns for the future is whether victims of violence may come after him in court as they have done against Ernesto Zedillo, who served 1994-2000 and current teaches at Yale. On this front, Calderon (and Zedillo) got good news last week. The U.S. government believes Zedillo should enjoy immunity from prosecution. Read more.
Sep 12, 2012
Mexico's Calderon eyes labor, fiscal law reforms in final months
(Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon said on Tuesday he hopes to push through labor reforms needed to create jobs and boost economic growth, but was not certain if the proposals will pass Congress before he leaves office.
Earlier this month, he sent a new proposal to liberalize the country's antiquated labor laws to lawmakers as he sought to fast-track the legislation before leaving office at the end of November.
The proposed labor reform could be a litmus test of how incoming President Enrique Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and Calderon's conservative National Action Party (PAN) cooperate in the new Congress, which lasts three years.
Calderon also plans to push through fiscal transparency laws to ensure greater accountability in government.
"I don't know if I will get a positive answer from Congress, but I hope that if Congress keeps the law, I will get at least one answer," Calderon told bankers and business executives in Singapore, noting it could take up to a month to get an answer.
"I am proposing to the Congress that any public tax revenue will be tracked for the people since the very beginning to the very end. That is possible today at Federal level because we are supporting transparency but that is not possible, not yet, at local level," he said.
Mexico's labor laws needed reform so that young people and women can work in the most favorable conditions, he said. Read more.
Earlier this month, he sent a new proposal to liberalize the country's antiquated labor laws to lawmakers as he sought to fast-track the legislation before leaving office at the end of November.
The proposed labor reform could be a litmus test of how incoming President Enrique Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and Calderon's conservative National Action Party (PAN) cooperate in the new Congress, which lasts three years.
Calderon also plans to push through fiscal transparency laws to ensure greater accountability in government.
"I don't know if I will get a positive answer from Congress, but I hope that if Congress keeps the law, I will get at least one answer," Calderon told bankers and business executives in Singapore, noting it could take up to a month to get an answer.
"I am proposing to the Congress that any public tax revenue will be tracked for the people since the very beginning to the very end. That is possible today at Federal level because we are supporting transparency but that is not possible, not yet, at local level," he said.
Mexico's labor laws needed reform so that young people and women can work in the most favorable conditions, he said. Read more.
Aug 29, 2012
UPDATE 1-Mexico's electoral court set to confirm Pena Nieto victory
* Leftist runner-up alleges vote buying, overspending
* Court ruling due by Thursday or Friday - electoral sources
* Evidence seen as weak, PRI victory likely to be upheld
* Charges underscore challenges facing Mexican democracy
Michael O'Boyle. MEXICO CITY, Aug 28 - Mexico's electoral court is poised to
confirm President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto's victory in the July 1 ballot,
despite allegations of vote buying and money laundering during the campaign,
electoral officials and legal experts said.
Leftist runner-up Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who lost the
presidential election by 3.3 million votes, challenged the result, alleging
that Pena Nieto's party used slush funds to buy votes and breached spending
limits. Read more.
Aug 2, 2012
Mexico: The Campaign Continues
NACLA: Fred Rosen. Confusion reigns in the post-campaign. The months following Mexico’s presidential election are turning out to be as conflictive and as revelatory of Mexican politics as the election itself. One of the nasty debates of the post-campaign centers around the testimony of a Mexican-American public relations hustler named José Luis Ponce de Aquino.
The PR man claims to have been approached by campaign functionaries of the victorious (maybe) Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and hired to use his many media contacts and his own media/public relations firm, Frontera Televisión Network LLP, to promote a favorable image of PRI candidate Enrique Peña Nieto in the United States. For his services, says Ponce de Aquino, he was offered (in writing) the outsized sum of $56 million dollars, but was never paid. Read more.
The PR man claims to have been approached by campaign functionaries of the victorious (maybe) Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and hired to use his many media contacts and his own media/public relations firm, Frontera Televisión Network LLP, to promote a favorable image of PRI candidate Enrique Peña Nieto in the United States. For his services, says Ponce de Aquino, he was offered (in writing) the outsized sum of $56 million dollars, but was never paid. Read more.
Jul 20, 2012
Mexico’s conservative party joins leftists in demanding probe of presidential winner’s funding
In the latest development of the ongoing legal challenge to this month's presidential election, runner-up Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Gustavo Madero, national chairman of the PAN, have jointly accused the victorious PRI of laundering millions of dollars through front organizations to fund Enrique Peña Nieto's campaign and are demanding that the election be annulled.
AP: MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s conservative National Action Party said Thursday it has “strong and conclusive evidence of the use of illicit funds” in the campaign of the winner of the July 1 presidential election, Enrique Pena Nieto.
National Action leader Gustavo Madero said his group is joining with the country’s leftist parties to demand that electoral authorities investigate the use of pre-paid debit cards purportedly used by Pena Nieto’s campaign to distribute an estimated 108 million pesos ($8.2 million). That would be about a third of all the money he was legally allowed to use in the race. Read more.
Posted by Ryan Gentzler.
AP: MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s conservative National Action Party said Thursday it has “strong and conclusive evidence of the use of illicit funds” in the campaign of the winner of the July 1 presidential election, Enrique Pena Nieto.
National Action leader Gustavo Madero said his group is joining with the country’s leftist parties to demand that electoral authorities investigate the use of pre-paid debit cards purportedly used by Pena Nieto’s campaign to distribute an estimated 108 million pesos ($8.2 million). That would be about a third of all the money he was legally allowed to use in the race. Read more.
Posted by Ryan Gentzler.
Jul 11, 2012
Mexico's old ruling party falls short of majority
In the lower house of Congress, it is expected that 240 seats will go to the PRI and the Green Party, 10 to the New Alliance Party, 114 to the PAN, and 101 to the PRD, although the PRD is also allied with smaller parties (together the progressive party could have 136 seats). Final totals are still to be determined in a few weeks.
AP: MEXICO CITY - Mexico's old ruling party and its allies appear to have fallen just short of a majority in both houses of Congress, electoral authorities said Tuesday, giving smaller parties the potential of leveraging their swing votes and increasing the likelihood that parties will try to poach congressmen from rivals.
The Institutional Revolutionary Party, which held Mexico's presidency for 71 years, has been declared the winner of the July 1 presidential elections, marking its first return to the presidency since 2000. Read more.
AP: MEXICO CITY - Mexico's old ruling party and its allies appear to have fallen just short of a majority in both houses of Congress, electoral authorities said Tuesday, giving smaller parties the potential of leveraging their swing votes and increasing the likelihood that parties will try to poach congressmen from rivals.
The Institutional Revolutionary Party, which held Mexico's presidency for 71 years, has been declared the winner of the July 1 presidential elections, marking its first return to the presidency since 2000. Read more.
Analysis: Mexico ruling party seeks new direction after election debacle
The socially conservative PAN party will be redeveloping its party strategy as it defines its relationship with the other parties.
Reuters: Mexico's conservative National Action Party made history when it swept to power in 2000, ending 71 years of one-party rule. But it now faces an identity crisis after a punishing presidential election defeat.
Reuters: Mexico's conservative National Action Party made history when it swept to power in 2000, ending 71 years of one-party rule. But it now faces an identity crisis after a punishing presidential election defeat.
Josefina Vazquez Mota, the PAN's candidate, came in a distant third with just 25.4 percent of the vote on July 1, and the party will have far fewer seats in Congress.
The Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which ruled for most of the 20th century and was ousted 12 years ago, was the beneficiary the PAN's collapse and bounced back to power. Read more.
Jul 9, 2012
PAN and PRD prepare to take action against the PRI
El Universal: Americas Program Original Translation
See Spanish Original.
The meetings between the national leaders of the PAN, Gustavo Madero, and of the PRD, Jesus Zambrano, intensified as the two parties prepared to formalize a joint action against the PRI.
As El Universal published in its July 2 edition, the two parties jointly designed a plan to oversee 150,000 polls, which allowed them to gather the reports of irregularities.
In a statement, Madero said he had met with Zambrano and that he “is open to dialogue.”
He confirmed that he has proof that on election day there was “a sophisticated vote-buying operation in which PRI governors are implicated, in which they approved the indiscriminate use of public resources to promote candidates.”
He urged all political actors to review electoral legislation carefully in order to put an end to the practices of the past which impede the full legitimization of electoral results.
The panista reminded that several challenges have been presented, including significant examples such as the distribution of Banca Monex cards to PRI operatives, especially to its representatives, both general and at the polls, who were registered with the IFE.
For Madero Muñoz, in the case that the electoral authorities validate Peña Nieto’s win, they would only give legality but not legitimacy to the presidential election, due to the deep issues with the way the PRI obtained thousands of votes.
He indicated that the PAN will maintain its firm position so that everything can be clarified and confirmed, and that in the future the illegal handling of resources and vote buying will not be repeated.
A call to join forces
Senator-elect Javier Corral, in a statement, called on the PAN to join forces with the left to clean up the election: “It is very important to follow up on the complaints presented to authorities regarding the abuses of the governors, the bias and manipulation of the pre-election polls by various media outlets, the outrageous expenditures by Peña Nieto’s campaign, and the buying and coercion of votes.”
Corral Jurado said that the PAN and the PRD should consolidate a common agenda in Congress to tackle the inequity that continues to spread in the electoral process, as well as the creation of a working accountability system for local governments.
Translation by Ryan Gentzler.
See Spanish Original.
The meetings between the national leaders of the PAN, Gustavo Madero, and of the PRD, Jesus Zambrano, intensified as the two parties prepared to formalize a joint action against the PRI.
As El Universal published in its July 2 edition, the two parties jointly designed a plan to oversee 150,000 polls, which allowed them to gather the reports of irregularities.
In a statement, Madero said he had met with Zambrano and that he “is open to dialogue.”
He confirmed that he has proof that on election day there was “a sophisticated vote-buying operation in which PRI governors are implicated, in which they approved the indiscriminate use of public resources to promote candidates.”
He urged all political actors to review electoral legislation carefully in order to put an end to the practices of the past which impede the full legitimization of electoral results.
The panista reminded that several challenges have been presented, including significant examples such as the distribution of Banca Monex cards to PRI operatives, especially to its representatives, both general and at the polls, who were registered with the IFE.
For Madero Muñoz, in the case that the electoral authorities validate Peña Nieto’s win, they would only give legality but not legitimacy to the presidential election, due to the deep issues with the way the PRI obtained thousands of votes.
He indicated that the PAN will maintain its firm position so that everything can be clarified and confirmed, and that in the future the illegal handling of resources and vote buying will not be repeated.
A call to join forces
Senator-elect Javier Corral, in a statement, called on the PAN to join forces with the left to clean up the election: “It is very important to follow up on the complaints presented to authorities regarding the abuses of the governors, the bias and manipulation of the pre-election polls by various media outlets, the outrageous expenditures by Peña Nieto’s campaign, and the buying and coercion of votes.”
Corral Jurado said that the PAN and the PRD should consolidate a common agenda in Congress to tackle the inequity that continues to spread in the electoral process, as well as the creation of a working accountability system for local governments.
Translation by Ryan Gentzler.
Jul 8, 2012
Mexico’s Election: A Personal Commentary from Oaxaca
Upside Down World: When we lose an election, and feel angry with or without cause, it’s natural to shout “Fraud!” However, the count of votes cast on July 1, 2012 provoked a scream of rage which didn’t indicate baseless anger, or that no fraud actually occurred. Enrique Peña Nieto the PRI presidential victor, feels safe saying he will go along with a recount. The fraud won’t show up on the paper ballots.
In Mexico, how much fraud decides an election? President Felipe Calderon never permitted a true examination of his 2006 electoral results, and that refusal supported a public perception of fraud, not diminished it. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, his left-leaning opponent, never stopped saying Calderon is illegitimate. Six years later we hopefully embarked on the same scenario, this time with Peña Nieto. Read more.
In Mexico, how much fraud decides an election? President Felipe Calderon never permitted a true examination of his 2006 electoral results, and that refusal supported a public perception of fraud, not diminished it. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, his left-leaning opponent, never stopped saying Calderon is illegitimate. Six years later we hopefully embarked on the same scenario, this time with Peña Nieto. Read more.
Jul 6, 2012
Old Politics Are New Again In Mexico
In analyzing the forces that drove the PRI back into power after its first-ever defeat in 2000, many are pointing to the widespread corruption and inefficiency that made the ruling PAN party virtually indistinguishable from its rival.
NPR: What happened to Mexico's National Action Party? It was the party that finally broke seven decades of PRI rule in the country and promised to bring long sought-after reforms to the country. Why did voters throw them out of office after two terms? Was the vote a referendum on Felipe Calderon's war on drugs?
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: And I'm Melissa Block.
In Mexico, last weekend's victory of the P-R-I or PRI was also a stunning defeat for the party that had been in power since 2000. The National Action Party, known as PAN, was thrashed at the polls. Mexican voters were unhappy about the economy and the spreading violence of the drug war. It's a big setback for the party credited with ousting the PRI 12 years ago and ushering in a new era of democracy for Mexico. Read more.
Posted by Ryan Gentzler.
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: And I'm Melissa Block.
In Mexico, last weekend's victory of the P-R-I or PRI was also a stunning defeat for the party that had been in power since 2000. The National Action Party, known as PAN, was thrashed at the polls. Mexican voters were unhappy about the economy and the spreading violence of the drug war. It's a big setback for the party credited with ousting the PRI 12 years ago and ushering in a new era of democracy for Mexico. Read more.
Posted by Ryan Gentzler.
Jul 4, 2012
Mexico should look into obstacles to press coverage of elections
Fox News Latino: Mexican authorities should investigate "the obstructions, censorship and intimidation that may have affected the coverage and observation of the electoral process," the Paris-based press-rights group Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, said Wednesday.
"Right up to the eve of election day, the campaign was marked by numerous attacks on journalists and also on observers, bloggers and campaigners for electoral transparency such as members of the #YoSoy132 collective," RSF said in a statement.
Sunday's presidential election was won by Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, candidate Enrique Peña Nieto, who garnered 38.14 percent of the vote, according to the final preliminary results released by the Federal Electoral Institute, or IFE.
"Much of the violence has been attributed to supporters of the three main candidates, starting with backers of the man who has been proclaimed the winner, Enrique Pena Nieto, leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party that led the country continuously from 1929 to 2000. The fact that the candidate of the left, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has asked the Federal Electoral Institute for a recount could further increase tension," RSF said. Read more.
"Right up to the eve of election day, the campaign was marked by numerous attacks on journalists and also on observers, bloggers and campaigners for electoral transparency such as members of the #YoSoy132 collective," RSF said in a statement.
Sunday's presidential election was won by Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, candidate Enrique Peña Nieto, who garnered 38.14 percent of the vote, according to the final preliminary results released by the Federal Electoral Institute, or IFE.
"Much of the violence has been attributed to supporters of the three main candidates, starting with backers of the man who has been proclaimed the winner, Enrique Pena Nieto, leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party that led the country continuously from 1929 to 2000. The fact that the candidate of the left, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has asked the Federal Electoral Institute for a recount could further increase tension," RSF said. Read more.
Jul 2, 2012
Mexico's PAN suffers heavy losses in general elections
The governing PAN party of Mexico has lost the presidential election, with Josefina Vazquez Mota falling in third place. It will be the third party in the lower house of Congress and the second party in the Senate. The party plans to make changes after these election results.
Mexico is going through "a transition that is still at risk," Madero told MVS radio.
The PAN chairman said he did not plan to resign, but he added that the party was undergoing "self-criticism and was humbled" by the election results. Read more.
Jul 1, 2012
Weary Voters Turn to Party of Mexico’s Past, Polls Say
According to exit polls and early returns, the NY Times reports on the expected victory of Enrique Peña Nieto, the gains of the PRI party, and some of today's proceedings including some problems, complaints of fraud, but not much of the feared drug-related violence.
If the victory is confirmed by more complete official results to be announced early Monday morning, it would be a stunning reversal of fortune for the centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party, known as the PRI, which was thought to be crippled after its defeat in the 2000 presidential election ushered in an era of real multiparty democracy here. Read more.
In Texas, Caution, Optimism Greet Mexican Election
Texas Tribune: With a mix of trepidation and optimism, Texas lawmakers are closely watching Mexico’s election on Sunday. The expected outcome would return the Institutional Revolutionary Party to power.
Polls show that Enrique Peña Nieto, a P.R.I. member and former governor of the state of Mexico, is in line to become the country’s next president. That would swing power back to the center-left party after 12 years of rule by the more moderate National Action Party, whose legacy has been stained by six years of grueling war against drug traffickers.
But Texas lawmakers are concerned that the PRI would revive its tainted past, which included reports of corruption and deal-making with criminal elements. Read more.
Polls show that Enrique Peña Nieto, a P.R.I. member and former governor of the state of Mexico, is in line to become the country’s next president. That would swing power back to the center-left party after 12 years of rule by the more moderate National Action Party, whose legacy has been stained by six years of grueling war against drug traffickers.
But Texas lawmakers are concerned that the PRI would revive its tainted past, which included reports of corruption and deal-making with criminal elements. Read more.
Will dirty tricks have role in Mexico's presidential election?
latimes.com: A drug war is raging, a party once known for brazen vote-rigging has a telegenic front-runner, and all parties now offer voters perks — but election officials say they are 'armored against fraud.'
MEXICO CITY — Sunday's presidential election represents a difficult test for Mexico's wobbly democracy: Can it hold a fraud-free national vote in the midst of a raging drug war?
The country's top election official conceded recently that violence in parts of the country prevented election officials from completing some preparations.
But the official, Leonardo Valdes, insisted that safeguards are firmly in place to prevent the kind of brazen electoral fraud once notorious in Mexico. And, he said, most of the strong-arming, threats and payoffs by drug traffickers remain limited to local politics and less influential in the national race. Read more.
MEXICO CITY — Sunday's presidential election represents a difficult test for Mexico's wobbly democracy: Can it hold a fraud-free national vote in the midst of a raging drug war?
The country's top election official conceded recently that violence in parts of the country prevented election officials from completing some preparations.
But the official, Leonardo Valdes, insisted that safeguards are firmly in place to prevent the kind of brazen electoral fraud once notorious in Mexico. And, he said, most of the strong-arming, threats and payoffs by drug traffickers remain limited to local politics and less influential in the national race. Read more.
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