Peña Nieto opens up for PEMEX privatization

Some quite remarkable comments made by Enrique Peña Nieto to The Financial Times on the national oil company in Mexico, PEMEX. According to the likely PRI presidential candidate, PEMEX

"can achieve more, grow more and do more through alliances with the private sector... Different mechanisms could be explored to ensure an involvement for the private sector in its alliance with Pemex... Brazil is one example...I believe that it is possible to find mechanisms that guarantee, on one hand, the state’s ownership of the oil in Mexico but on the other, mechanisms to achieve and encourage a greater involvement of the private sector... we have to take much more audacious steps.”

I can't say that I disagree with the general gist of his comments: Even the national Cuban oil company has less restrictions on private involvement than PEMEX, and Petrobras is an example to follow.

Yet this is something that is extremely controversial even within PRI, and it is interesting that he has come out that relatively clearly on the issue of PEMEX.

Also, of course, one can soon expect an answer from AMLO along the "I told you so" lines.

Direct FT link here.

PAN to use closed primary to elect presidential candidate, legislators

PAN's national executive committee (CEN) decided yesterday that its 2012 presidential candidate will be elected in a closed primary - that is, only open to party members. This, despite front runners Josefina Vázquez Mota and Santiago Creel both supporting an open, general vote.

Also
* Candidates for Senate will be elected by members in 8 states, and chosen directly by the executive committee in 24
*Out of the 300 electoral districts, the CEN will decide 141, and set aside 57 for women. In 143, party members will decide, while in the last 16 (in Mexico State) they will be chosen in an open vote.

I find the latter point to be quite interesting, as it strongly hints at a PAN-PRD alliance for Mexico State's legislative list.

Other than that, this is classic PAN - letting the party organs do most of the choosing. And, it must be noted, given the infighting of other parties when it comes to candidate selection, while "less democratic," it also will save the party for a lot of trouble. Yet for particularly the presidential candidate, the party may end up with someone who is strong within the party, yet weak among the general population.

As for the PRD, I can see both sides using PAN's selection method as an argument:
a) "Look, PAN is only allowing members to vote, so we should as well (AMLO camp)
b) "Look, PAN is only allowing members to vote, so we should be different" (Ebrard camp)