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Josefina Vázquez Mota to run for Mexican presidency Josefina Vázquez Mota to run for Mexican presidency
(40 minutes later)
Mexico's centre-right governing party has chosen a woman to lead its campaign to win the country's presidency for a third consecutive term.Mexico's centre-right governing party has chosen a woman to lead its campaign to win the country's presidency for a third consecutive term.
Josefina Vázquez Mota, a former education minister, won Sunday's nationwide poll of members of the National Action party (PAN) with around 55% of the votes cast. Her closest rival, the former finance minister Ernesto Cordero, took 38%.Josefina Vázquez Mota, a former education minister, won Sunday's nationwide poll of members of the National Action party (PAN) with around 55% of the votes cast. Her closest rival, the former finance minister Ernesto Cordero, took 38%.
"I am going to be the first female president in the history of our country," the 51-year-old mother of three said after the results were announced. "I am going to look after your family as I have looked after my own.""I am going to be the first female president in the history of our country," the 51-year-old mother of three said after the results were announced. "I am going to look after your family as I have looked after my own."
An economist who turned to writing self-help books before entering high-level politics in 2000, Vázquez Mota faces an uphill struggle before July's election.An economist who turned to writing self-help books before entering high-level politics in 2000, Vázquez Mota faces an uphill struggle before July's election.
Most opinion polls put her in second place, some 20 percentage points behind Enrique Peña Nieto, the candidate of the Institutional Revolutionary party (the PRI). Most opinion polls put her in second place, 20 percentage points behind Enrique Peña Nieto, the candidate of the Institutional Revolutionary party (the PRI).
The PRI held the presidency for 71 uninterrupted years with the help of soft authoritarianism and poll fiddling before finally yielding to calls to open the system to full political plurality in 2000.The PRI held the presidency for 71 uninterrupted years with the help of soft authoritarianism and poll fiddling before finally yielding to calls to open the system to full political plurality in 2000.
Vicente Fox's victory for the PAN in that year was hailed as the coming of democracy to Mexico. The PRI's resurgence reflects public disappointment over the PAN's limited achievements in government.Vicente Fox's victory for the PAN in that year was hailed as the coming of democracy to Mexico. The PRI's resurgence reflects public disappointment over the PAN's limited achievements in government.
Mexican presidents are constitutionally limited to one six-year term. Fox ended his with an image of ineffectiveness but his party colleague, Felipe Calderón, still managed to secure a wafer thin victory in bitter and polarised elections in 2006. Calderón's main rival, the leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador of the Party of Democratic Revolution (the PRD), cried fraud.Mexican presidents are constitutionally limited to one six-year term. Fox ended his with an image of ineffectiveness but his party colleague, Felipe Calderón, still managed to secure a wafer thin victory in bitter and polarised elections in 2006. Calderón's main rival, the leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador of the Party of Democratic Revolution (the PRD), cried fraud.
The PAN now approaches the end of Calderón's term with the country immersed in violent drug wars that have killed around 50,000 people. Mexico's chronic economic problems, including the poverty affecting around half the population, remain as acute as ever.The PAN now approaches the end of Calderón's term with the country immersed in violent drug wars that have killed around 50,000 people. Mexico's chronic economic problems, including the poverty affecting around half the population, remain as acute as ever.
"Josefina arrives with a weakened party," said Soledad Loaeza, a political science professor in Colegio de México who has studied the evolution of the PAN. "The electorate is not willing to see her as an alternative.""Josefina arrives with a weakened party," said Soledad Loaeza, a political science professor in Colegio de México who has studied the evolution of the PAN. "The electorate is not willing to see her as an alternative."
López Obrador has again secured the left's presidential candidacy, but his bid is hampered by the residual ill-will left by the political crisis he triggered with his refusal to accept defeat in 2006.López Obrador has again secured the left's presidential candidacy, but his bid is hampered by the residual ill-will left by the political crisis he triggered with his refusal to accept defeat in 2006.
Vázquez Mota has built her candidacy on a conciliatory but firm image, as well as a subtle but clear effort to distance herself from Calderón to whom she was once close. Her clearest electoral promise so far has been to pledge life imprisonment for corrupt politicians.Vázquez Mota has built her candidacy on a conciliatory but firm image, as well as a subtle but clear effort to distance herself from Calderón to whom she was once close. Her clearest electoral promise so far has been to pledge life imprisonment for corrupt politicians.
Her main rival, Cordero, fought his campaign for the party nomination on his professed pride in the record of the Calderón presidency.Her main rival, Cordero, fought his campaign for the party nomination on his professed pride in the record of the Calderón presidency.
The internal campaign became tense in the final weeks with Vázquez Mota's team accusing Cordero of dirty tricks.The internal campaign became tense in the final weeks with Vázquez Mota's team accusing Cordero of dirty tricks.
In her victory speech Vázquez Mota sought to move the campaign on to the task of establishing herself as the woman to stop the PRI returning to power. She accused Peña Nieto of "representing authoritarianism and the worst antidemocratic practices," as well as "a return to corruption as a system and impunity as a sentence."In her victory speech Vázquez Mota sought to move the campaign on to the task of establishing herself as the woman to stop the PRI returning to power. She accused Peña Nieto of "representing authoritarianism and the worst antidemocratic practices," as well as "a return to corruption as a system and impunity as a sentence."
Peña Nieto greeted Vazquez Mota's victory with a tweet on his official account. "Congratulations and welcome to the democratic contest," it read. "May it be for the good of Mexico."Peña Nieto greeted Vazquez Mota's victory with a tweet on his official account. "Congratulations and welcome to the democratic contest," it read. "May it be for the good of Mexico."