With the risk of boring readers with yet another repetition of an oft-noted point: Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas will seek to be president in 2012, or to place his son as the candidate.
Interviewed in regards to PRD's most recent crisis, which is really just a reenactment of the perennial fault line that has divided the party for more than two decades - to be an institutionalized party, or a personalistic movement-party - Cuauhtémoc had the following to say, in his typical cardenasspeak:
"for 2012, other figures might surge that could become a unifying factor in the unity of the widest and most progressive force."
Gee, I wonder who Cuauhtémoc might have in mind.
Showing posts with label Lázaro Cárdenas Batel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lázaro Cárdenas Batel. Show all posts
Friday, February 25, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Lázaro Cardenás Batel declines becoming PRD's new leader -why?
Lázaro Cárdenas Batel, son of Cuauhtémoc, grandson of El Tata, finally declared he will not be a candidate for the PRD presidency. In the cardenasspeak typical of his father, it is far from clear exactly why he will not do so. He mentioned his commitment to his current visiting position in the U.S., though that is hardly a new factor that came up. Moreover, he does, in an interview with El Universal, state that he will back Encinas in Mexico State, so presumably he will return well in time for the July 4 election there.
Two theses that have been put forth:
1) Batel had demanded at least a majority of positions on the PRD executive committee, and didn't get it (can't find the link right now for this one)
2) According to the Transcendió off-the-record column in Milenio, he did not get a clear commitment from the supporters of Andrés Manuel López Obrador that they would respect the institutional rules of the game in the party - above all, of course, with regards to the future presidential candidacy.
Note that these two unofficial reasons are, to be sure, not mutually exclusive.
Two theses that have been put forth:
1) Batel had demanded at least a majority of positions on the PRD executive committee, and didn't get it (can't find the link right now for this one)
2) According to the Transcendió off-the-record column in Milenio, he did not get a clear commitment from the supporters of Andrés Manuel López Obrador that they would respect the institutional rules of the game in the party - above all, of course, with regards to the future presidential candidacy.
Note that these two unofficial reasons are, to be sure, not mutually exclusive.
Monday, January 17, 2011
PRD national leadership organs to be renewed March 19
This weekend's meeting of the PRD's national council decided as expected that the party's key organs - its presidency, secretary general and secretariat, as well as its national political commission and a couple of autonomous party commissions. The council meeting was chiefly a formality; an upcoming meeting in mid-February will address the contentious issue of the PRD's possible electoral alliance with the PAN in 2-3 state elections in 2011, most importantly in Mexico State.
While Lázaro Cárdenas Batel, son of Cuauhtémoc, was prominently presented as a possible "unity candidate" to head the party the next three years, LCB has evolved into the sphinx-like character of his father, opting to remain silent virtually until the very end right before any decision will have to be made - that is, he has not expressed interest for the presidency, nor rejected it.
Regardless: Ahead of two crucial state elections - Guerrero and Baja California Sur - the PRD is wisely doing all it can to maintain a modicum of unity. Even Dolores Padierna argued for a "consensus candidate" - which presumably would mean that she the extremely controversial and tainted leader of the IDN faction has dropped her own candidacy.
While Lázaro Cárdenas Batel, son of Cuauhtémoc, was prominently presented as a possible "unity candidate" to head the party the next three years, LCB has evolved into the sphinx-like character of his father, opting to remain silent virtually until the very end right before any decision will have to be made - that is, he has not expressed interest for the presidency, nor rejected it.
Regardless: Ahead of two crucial state elections - Guerrero and Baja California Sur - the PRD is wisely doing all it can to maintain a modicum of unity. Even Dolores Padierna argued for a "consensus candidate" - which presumably would mean that she the extremely controversial and tainted leader of the IDN faction has dropped her own candidacy.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
"Me encantaría Lázaro": Ebrard wants Lázaro Cárdenas as new PRD president
While Ebrard is walking carefully not to step on the toes of the current PRD leadership of Jésus Ortega and his social-democratic Nueva Izquierda faction, the Mexico City mayor expressed support for Lázaro Cárdenas Batel as new PRD president when Ortega steps down in March 2011.
A few quick comments:
1) Cárdenas Batel is hardly a controversial choice, and Ebrard says he expects AMLO to back him as well. I doubt this - AMLO will reject anyone he cannot control, and moreover has poor relations with his one-time mentor Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, Lázaro's father. AMLO's candidate has long been Dolores Padierna; he will only support Làzaro if the latter explicitly opposes the PAN-PRD alliances.
2) Ortega was elected March 2008 yet due to the disastrous internal election, had to wait until the end of 2008 to take up office. Stepping down in March 2011is a concession, but Ortega also wants to avoid yet another ruinous internal party fight so close to the 2012 presidential elections
3) Because of this, it is crucial that no mass-election by the party base is held to elect PRD's new president. Every one of these elections has been a disaster; the PRD should follow PAN's example and elected the president through a vote by the national council of the party, which has in turn been elected by the party base. Alternatively - and a better alternative yet - is for Lázaro to become a "unity" candidate, which is what PRI is doing, and what Ebrard is seemingly eager to achieve. This would involve quite few concessions to many groups involved, but is a viable option, which include Cuauhtémoc dropping his 2012 ambitions and instead aiming for Lázaro in 2018.
A few quick comments:
1) Cárdenas Batel is hardly a controversial choice, and Ebrard says he expects AMLO to back him as well. I doubt this - AMLO will reject anyone he cannot control, and moreover has poor relations with his one-time mentor Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, Lázaro's father. AMLO's candidate has long been Dolores Padierna; he will only support Làzaro if the latter explicitly opposes the PAN-PRD alliances.
2) Ortega was elected March 2008 yet due to the disastrous internal election, had to wait until the end of 2008 to take up office. Stepping down in March 2011is a concession, but Ortega also wants to avoid yet another ruinous internal party fight so close to the 2012 presidential elections
3) Because of this, it is crucial that no mass-election by the party base is held to elect PRD's new president. Every one of these elections has been a disaster; the PRD should follow PAN's example and elected the president through a vote by the national council of the party, which has in turn been elected by the party base. Alternatively - and a better alternative yet - is for Lázaro to become a "unity" candidate, which is what PRI is doing, and what Ebrard is seemingly eager to achieve. This would involve quite few concessions to many groups involved, but is a viable option, which include Cuauhtémoc dropping his 2012 ambitions and instead aiming for Lázaro in 2018.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas seeks to place his son Lázaro as PRD president
Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas will never, ever give up his presidential ambitions. Either he, or one of his sons, will be president of Mexico. While Cárdenas is much more of a statesman than AMLO has ever been and likely ever will be, he has on a range of occasions displayed exactly the same stubborn me-or-the-highway approach. He has run 3 times for national president and was only blocked from doing so in 2006 as virtually the entire PRD pushed for him to decline. Yet rather than help AMLO win, he hardly lifted a finger in his native Michoacán for AMLO's candidacy, nor did his sons.
Now, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas is eagerly jumping in the fray again - as if he ever really left - by backing the plans by the anti-Ortega crowd in the PRD to put his son, former governor (2004-2008) of Michoacán Lázaro Cárdenas Batel, as a new "unity" PRD leader between the pro-AMLO and the pro-Ortega groups, which constitute the most significant division in the party. Be sure that it is also part of the plan to present Lázaro Cárdenas Batel as a similar presidential candidate of unity in 2012, after Marcelo Ebrard and AMLO tear themselves and the party apart. Cárdenas met with the anti-Ortega group, nicknamed G8, and demanded the immediate resignation of Ortega, but refuses to state that he backs his son as the new party president. The old caudillo is fooling no one.
Now, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas is eagerly jumping in the fray again - as if he ever really left - by backing the plans by the anti-Ortega crowd in the PRD to put his son, former governor (2004-2008) of Michoacán Lázaro Cárdenas Batel, as a new "unity" PRD leader between the pro-AMLO and the pro-Ortega groups, which constitute the most significant division in the party. Be sure that it is also part of the plan to present Lázaro Cárdenas Batel as a similar presidential candidate of unity in 2012, after Marcelo Ebrard and AMLO tear themselves and the party apart. Cárdenas met with the anti-Ortega group, nicknamed G8, and demanded the immediate resignation of Ortega, but refuses to state that he backs his son as the new party president. The old caudillo is fooling no one.
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