Here is where they think that one may lose one's principles making alliances of this nature. But el ingeniero (Cuauhtémoc) Cárdenas didn't lose his principles when we made an early alliance with the PAN in San Luis Potosi. Andrés Manuel (López Obrador) didn't lose his when we made early alliances with sectors of the PRI. I did not initiate the alliances with PAN; the first were in San Luis, Durango, Coahuila, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Chiapas. Since when did the PAN became a right-wing party -since I became president of the PRD? That is ridiculous. Andrés says that the PAN was formed to fight general (Lázaro) Cárdenas, yes, but why can't he remember when we made an alliance with Salvador Nava, who was from the PAN, and why doesn't he remember when he celebrated the triumph of Pablo Salazar or Toño Echevarria? [PAN-PRD alliance candidates in Chiapas and Nayarit]Because that would completely contradict his discourse.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Ortega calls out Cárdenas and López Obrador for hypocrisy on electoral alliances
In a lengthy interview with El Universal, which makes for highly interesting reading, PRD national president Jesús Ortega has this to say regarding the electoral alliances the PRD under his leadership made with the PAN:
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It is simply not the same, mostly because even though the PRD has remained in a similar situation since these events occurred, the PAN has not. The PAN of those years was also an underdog, running under the banner of improving transparency, getting rid of corruption and ensuring clean elections, objectives common to the PAN and PRD.
ReplyDeleteWe now have different degrees of advances in these topics, but the spotlight is clearly elsewhere. The PAN of today seems most interested in pushing their conservative agenda (both economic and social). A quick look at the early state governments led by the PAN (e.g. Baja California), compared to the current incarnations (e.g. Guanajuato and Jalisco) speaks for itself. The Bajio PAN is, of course, not the same as the PAN of the North, but those are the defining factions of each period of the PAN's power.
The question of alliances is very contentious. As a perredista, I'm undecided on the issue, but there's no denying that the situation has changed enough for reasonable people to have different opinions.
I could not agree more: People will have different opinions of the alliances, and those should be respected (I personally, for instance, would be highly opposed to a 2012 presidential alliance).
ReplyDeleteBut that's exactly the point, though: AMLO and the factions regarded as closest to him denounce Ortega and his people as "traitors" and sell-outs, as someone who really wants to destroy the PRD, which are quite brutal accusations to make. Just like Ortega must respect those who oppose the alliances, those against them must also respect their opponents who favor them, and not simply label them as traitor. Finally, let's not forget that Ortega was elected president, and Nueva Izquierda and ADN have a majority of the party councilors; if a majority of the party, whether it is on the national level or on the state level, accepts the alliances, then it is also in the final instance about following the democratic decisions of the party majority.