Mariano González Zarur's assumption as governor of Tlaxcala Saturday truly brought out the best and the worst of the PRI - representatives of the latter included highly discredited ex-governors Roberto Madrazo and Ulises Ruiz, as well as soon-to-be former governor, the ill-famed protector of pederasts, Mario Marín of Puebla - a man who belongs in a federal prison rather than as an invited (presumably) guest to a gubernatorial inauguration ceremon
The state was wrested from the PAN, following the six-year rule of Héctor Israel Ortiz Ortiz. González Zarur promised a thorough house cleaning of the former state administration; notably, in the inauguration ceremony, the eight chairs set aside for PAN's state deputies were empty.
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.
Backlash against Oliva's attempt to reintroduce catholic indoctrination in schools
The foolish attempt by Governor Juan Manuel Oliva of Guanajuato to reintroduce, absent since the Revolution, catholic indoctrination in nominally secular state schools, met with a barrage of criticism: Legislators from not only the left as well as the PRI, but notably also the PAN, condemned Oliva's open disregard for the Mexican constitution, which does not allow for religious indoctrination in the schools.
Most stridently, PRD Senator Graco Ramírez and PRI national deputy Alfonso Navarrete Prida warned that should Oliva follow through on his plan, one response might be an impeachment trial in Congress for conspiring against the Mexican constitution. Let's see how far Oliva is willing to go with his neo-cristero crusade simulacrum.
Most stridently, PRD Senator Graco Ramírez and PRI national deputy Alfonso Navarrete Prida warned that should Oliva follow through on his plan, one response might be an impeachment trial in Congress for conspiring against the Mexican constitution. Let's see how far Oliva is willing to go with his neo-cristero crusade simulacrum.
Interview with Ángel Aguirre Rivero, ahead in polls for governor of Guerrero
Against the predictions of most political observers, Ángel Aguirre Rivero is seemingly ahead in the polls by a few percentage points, but ahead nonetheless, to be the next governor of Guerrero.
Here's a useful El Universal interview where he discusses his very recent past in the PRI, as well as how he regards himself ideologically: Of the moderate left.
Of note: He has subscribed to a long-time demand from the left to push for a new state constitution that would, significantly, include the mechanism of a recall referendum. Given the excessive length of Mexican governors' terms - most sit six years - I think this is a mechanism certainly worth considering.
Here's a useful El Universal interview where he discusses his very recent past in the PRI, as well as how he regards himself ideologically: Of the moderate left.
Of note: He has subscribed to a long-time demand from the left to push for a new state constitution that would, significantly, include the mechanism of a recall referendum. Given the excessive length of Mexican governors' terms - most sit six years - I think this is a mechanism certainly worth considering.
(here's an interview with his main opponent, Manuel Añorve Baños)
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Why PAN's party characteristics speak against Josefina Vázquez Mota 2012
Josefina Vázquez Mota would be a terrific candidate for PAN in 2012. Yet as Jorge Zepeda Patterson in an excellent column today argues, the PAN's own history and characteristics speak against her candidacy, and primarily because her name is Josefina and not José. A couple of cases in point
* PAN, despite its 72-year long history, has never had a woman governor
* PAN, despite its 72-year long history, has never had a woman party leader
And not to forget: In Calderón's government, of the 21 most important ministries and secretariats, only two are held by women.
PAN has still a very long way to grow off its born-with disease: Misogyny.
* PAN, despite its 72-year long history, has never had a woman governor
* PAN, despite its 72-year long history, has never had a woman party leader
And not to forget: In Calderón's government, of the 21 most important ministries and secretariats, only two are held by women.
PAN has still a very long way to grow off its born-with disease: Misogyny.
PRD-PT warn against arrival of "shock troops" in Baja California Sur gubernatorial election
Members of the alliance Sudcalifornia para Todos - the parties PRD and PT - warned against the arrival of "shock groups" in Baja California Sur ahead of the state's Feb. 6 gubernatorial election.
While we only have the assertions of mayoral candidates Ricardo Gerardo Higuera and Antonio Agúndez Montaño that outside groups are coming to BCS to create havoc in the state, place, the recent violent events in Guerrero ahead of that state's election should certainly put one on alert that something similar might happen elsewhere.
While we only have the assertions of mayoral candidates Ricardo Gerardo Higuera and Antonio Agúndez Montaño that outside groups are coming to BCS to create havoc in the state, place, the recent violent events in Guerrero ahead of that state's election should certainly put one on alert that something similar might happen elsewhere.
Surreal development in Guerrero campaign: PRI admits attack, then backtracks
A most extraordinary development in the Guerrero gubernatorial campaign:
Ernesto Vélez Memije is a member of Manuel Añorve Baños' campaign to be governor of Guerrero. Following the brutal attack that left a key PRD member of the opposing campaign of Ángel Aguirre Rivero in a coma, Vélez appeared on television and admitted that the attackers were priístas, but alleged that the PRD member, Guillermo Sánchez Nava, had actually "provoked" the attackers.
(PRD's campaign manager, Jesús Zambrano, has presented what he argues is a leaked PRI plan to use violence to destabilize Guerrero and suppress vote participation ahead of the elections)
Sánchez Nava, to recall, caught a group of apparent PRI sympathizers tearing down election material for Aguirre; when he photographed them, they beat him unconscious.
The interview as such was extremely important, even though Vélez' main point was in essence "Yes, but he made us do it, and it is really his fault."
Then happened the strangest thing. Vélez later the same day obviously regretted what he said, and now argued that Mario Moreno Arcos, a PRD federal deputy, had enticed him to admit the PRI attack, offering him a position in a future Aguirre cabinet. Beatriz Paredes Rangel, the national PRI leader, to her discredit also went on the offensive to deny that the attackers were from the PRI.
This case stinks to heaven. It seems so utterly clear that Vélez is lying - the gist of the interview was an attack on the PRD - with his claim that he was pressured/bribed to say what he did. At the very least, it would mean that he accepted the bribe, then regretted - hardly something that speaks well of him.
But again: The interview was above all an attack on the PRD, and it seems clear that higher ups pushed him to come up with this pretty crazy and absolutely unbelievable cover story.
The worst part:
How can Beatriz Paredes Rangel, of whom one might expect more dignified behavior, subscribe to what is obviously an outright lie, and a poor one at that? Note that new PRI president Humberto Moreira has kept his mouth pretty much tightly shut; his handling of this, his first crisis as PRD national leader, speaks very poorly of his judgment, while his failure to clearly and immediately condemn the political violence speaks ill of his moral backbone.
Ernesto Vélez Memije is a member of Manuel Añorve Baños' campaign to be governor of Guerrero. Following the brutal attack that left a key PRD member of the opposing campaign of Ángel Aguirre Rivero in a coma, Vélez appeared on television and admitted that the attackers were priístas, but alleged that the PRD member, Guillermo Sánchez Nava, had actually "provoked" the attackers.
(PRD's campaign manager, Jesús Zambrano, has presented what he argues is a leaked PRI plan to use violence to destabilize Guerrero and suppress vote participation ahead of the elections)
Sánchez Nava, to recall, caught a group of apparent PRI sympathizers tearing down election material for Aguirre; when he photographed them, they beat him unconscious.
The interview as such was extremely important, even though Vélez' main point was in essence "Yes, but he made us do it, and it is really his fault."
Then happened the strangest thing. Vélez later the same day obviously regretted what he said, and now argued that Mario Moreno Arcos, a PRD federal deputy, had enticed him to admit the PRI attack, offering him a position in a future Aguirre cabinet. Beatriz Paredes Rangel, the national PRI leader, to her discredit also went on the offensive to deny that the attackers were from the PRI.
This case stinks to heaven. It seems so utterly clear that Vélez is lying - the gist of the interview was an attack on the PRD - with his claim that he was pressured/bribed to say what he did. At the very least, it would mean that he accepted the bribe, then regretted - hardly something that speaks well of him.
But again: The interview was above all an attack on the PRD, and it seems clear that higher ups pushed him to come up with this pretty crazy and absolutely unbelievable cover story.
The worst part:
How can Beatriz Paredes Rangel, of whom one might expect more dignified behavior, subscribe to what is obviously an outright lie, and a poor one at that? Note that new PRI president Humberto Moreira has kept his mouth pretty much tightly shut; his handling of this, his first crisis as PRD national leader, speaks very poorly of his judgment, while his failure to clearly and immediately condemn the political violence speaks ill of his moral backbone.
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