At 23 minutes past 3 pm yesterday, the last session was held in the Mexican Senate's building Xicoténcatl. Now, the Senate will rather meet in the brand new, infinitely delayed complex in Reforma 135, on the corner of Insurgentes, which has cost about 2 and a half billion pesos.
The beautiful Xicoténcatl is filled with history - it has been the seat of the Senate's sessions for eight decades - and here are a few anecdotes from building personnel. My favorite: Jorge Cruickshank García, who as the first-ever opposition senator (Partido Popular Socialista) in 1976 was ridiculed by his PRI colleagues, yet coolly responded, "One there there will be opposition and you will laugh no more."
The new Senate complex will be inaugurated today. Will the new high-tech environment actually result in better work productivity and a higher passage of laws?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Alas: Even Encinas a "unity candidate" of the PRD. The death of primaries.
I'll be the first to admit that Alejandro Encinas is PRD's best card at having a shot at the Mexico State governorship, even though those chances appear much dimmer given what is at least the official end to a PRD-PAN electoral alliance in the entity. However, rather than going through any kind of party vote or primary, Encinas was simply pronounced to be PRD's "unity" candidate by its National Political Commission (CPN).
All the three main parties in Mexico State, then, resorted to "unity" candidates; the PAN, most recently, designated Luis Felipe Bravo Mena its gubernatorial hopeful.
This certainly makes any criticism of PRI for the dedazo designation of Eruviel Ávila ring hollow: The PRD, in the end, chose its candidate in what is in essence the exact same manner.
All the three main parties in Mexico State, then, resorted to "unity" candidates; the PAN, most recently, designated Luis Felipe Bravo Mena its gubernatorial hopeful.
This certainly makes any criticism of PRI for the dedazo designation of Eruviel Ávila ring hollow: The PRD, in the end, chose its candidate in what is in essence the exact same manner.
Tamaulipas, another PRI-led state run into the ditch
Tamaulipas recently "celebrated" the first 100 days of government of Egidio Torre Cantú, who became the PRI candidate following the murder of his brother Rodolfo.
According to detractors of the government, there is little to celebrate: Apparently, the government cannot present one single achievement to boast of, and is even struggling to pay its employees back pay, some back to January
The blame cannot exactly be put on the shoulders of Torre Cantú alone. According to the state's secretary of finance, Alfredo González Fernández, the previous government of Eugenio Hernández Flores, also of PRI, left the state with a debt of at least 14 billion pesos (!), while reportedly cashing in on lucrative building contracts awarded to Tohesa, a company of which Hernández Flores is a partner.
Yet while its politicians line their pockets, Tamaulipas is teetering on being a "failed state," following the decades of misrule by the PRI.
According to detractors of the government, there is little to celebrate: Apparently, the government cannot present one single achievement to boast of, and is even struggling to pay its employees back pay, some back to January
The blame cannot exactly be put on the shoulders of Torre Cantú alone. According to the state's secretary of finance, Alfredo González Fernández, the previous government of Eugenio Hernández Flores, also of PRI, left the state with a debt of at least 14 billion pesos (!), while reportedly cashing in on lucrative building contracts awarded to Tohesa, a company of which Hernández Flores is a partner.
Yet while its politicians line their pockets, Tamaulipas is teetering on being a "failed state," following the decades of misrule by the PRI.
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