Mexico's former monopoly party splits over presidential candidates

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Mon, May. 29, 2006email thisprint this
Mexico's former monopoly party splits over presidential candidates
By Jon Gambrell
Knight Ridder Newspapers

MEXICO CITY - After dominating Mexican politics for 71 years, until Vicente Fox was elected President in 2000, the Institutional Revolutionary Party finds itself in disarray coming into the July 2 presidential election.

Party candidate Roberto Madrazo remains far behind conservative Felipe Calderon and left-of-center candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in recent polls.

Now, the party, known by the Spanish acronym PRI, has several of its own senior members calling for voters to cast ballots for Lopez Obrador rather than Madrazo, making a PRI comeback even less likely than it already was.
(snip)

That lag in the polls has some, including PRI Sen. Manuel Bartlett, asking party supporters during the last few days to vote for Lopez Obrador rather than Madrazo. To Bartlett and others, casting a ballot for Lopez Obrador serves as the "useful vote," blocking the conservative Calderon from taking the presidency.
(snip/...)

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/1...

[Marie26]

1. Well, good.

One-party systems are almost always totally corrupt, & the PRI was too. Maybe another party can have a chance now.

[Lisa0825]

2. Obrador was dropping in the polls lately....

maybe this will give him a boost!

I will be in Cozumel during the election. I am eager to see how it turns out!

[arcos]

4. Not anymore!

Actually, the most recent polls have Calderón dropping a little. He's now again in a technical tie with López Obrador.

[arcos]

3. Great news!

Colombia's corrupt Liberal Party imploded in yesterday's election, to be replaced by a real left wing alternative. Same thing in Mexico, except that López Obrador actually has a chance of winning. Hopefully the good people that remain on PRI will consider voting for the PRD.

[Solon]

5. Is it just me, or does the name of the party seem like an oxymoron?

Seriously, an Institutional Revolutionary Party? I thought that Revolutions are for overturning unfair or undemocratic Institutions. Just a brain fart.

[Acadia Blue]

8. In Mexico the revolution benefited the aristocracy. Money is all that

matters there.

[PublicWrath]

6. bushco is unlikely to stay out of Mexico's election, -will probably do

almost anything to insure Obrador is not elected. In view of Chavez and in view of Morales and recent events in Bolivia, and considering bushco's lust to get into Mexico's national oil company, I think it's safe to say bushco will outdo themselves in undermining Obrador. Bushco will have lots of help from pro-privatization people in Mexico, too.

[imlost]

7. I'll be watching this carefully.

I hope no one is assassinated and the election is fair.
I'm so use to corrupt elections in Mexico, I can't help but be a pessimist.

I'll my fingers crossed for the PRD.

[ronnykmarshall]

9. Viva Lopez!

[Bridget Burke]

10. I remember the 1988 election...

The PRD was new & Cuauhtemoc Cardenas was their first candidate. His campaign manager was murdered the night before the vote. Then, the vote-counting computers "broke down"--leading to a loss for the PRD.

It now ranks as the 2nd most obviously stolen election in my lifetime.