This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/03/mexico-elections-nieto-reform-agenda
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Mexico elections: Enrique Peña Nieto outlines ambitious reforms agenda | Mexico elections: Enrique Peña Nieto outlines ambitious reforms agenda |
| (30 days later) | |
| Enrique Peña Nieto, the virtual winner of Mexico's presidential vote on Sunday, has outlined an ambitious reform agenda aimed at "recuperating the road of peace, security, economic growth and effective action against poverty". | Enrique Peña Nieto, the virtual winner of Mexico's presidential vote on Sunday, has outlined an ambitious reform agenda aimed at "recuperating the road of peace, security, economic growth and effective action against poverty". |
| But his ability to push this through will be limited by a newly elected legislature which early figures suggest his Institutional Revolutionary party, known as the PRI, will not control. | But his ability to push this through will be limited by a newly elected legislature which early figures suggest his Institutional Revolutionary party, known as the PRI, will not control. |
| Peña Nieto may also face a legal challenge to his still unconfirmed victory by seven percentage points over his closest rival, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The leftwing candidate claims the election was plagued with irregularities, such as vote buying, and marred by media bias in his favour. | Peña Nieto may also face a legal challenge to his still unconfirmed victory by seven percentage points over his closest rival, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The leftwing candidate claims the election was plagued with irregularities, such as vote buying, and marred by media bias in his favour. |
| Peña Nieto has sought to cement his position with repeated pledges to embody democratic values that bury memories of the authoritarianism that characterised much of the PRI's previous stint in power, from 1929 to 2000. | Peña Nieto has sought to cement his position with repeated pledges to embody democratic values that bury memories of the authoritarianism that characterised much of the PRI's previous stint in power, from 1929 to 2000. |
| At a press conference on López Obrador announced that his team had already formally requested a full recount of the presidential poll and was preparing a legal challenge alleging massive vote buying and overspending by the PRI, as well as media bias in favour of Peña Nieto. | At a press conference on López Obrador announced that his team had already formally requested a full recount of the presidential poll and was preparing a legal challenge alleging massive vote buying and overspending by the PRI, as well as media bias in favour of Peña Nieto. |
| "There is no doubt that this election was neither clean nor free," he said. "They bought millions of votes and we are collecting evidence of this that will form part of the legal cases that, at a later date, we will pursue." | "There is no doubt that this election was neither clean nor free," he said. "They bought millions of votes and we are collecting evidence of this that will form part of the legal cases that, at a later date, we will pursue." |
| He accompanied the announcement of forthcoming reform initiatives with a call on all parties to put aside their differences and join him in "building agreements that prove that democracy can produce better results for Mexicans". | He accompanied the announcement of forthcoming reform initiatives with a call on all parties to put aside their differences and join him in "building agreements that prove that democracy can produce better results for Mexicans". |
| The appeal is ironic given the similarity of his stated priorities of fiscal, labour, energy and social security reforms with the wish lists of the outgoing president, Felipe Calderón, and his immediate predecessor and fellow member of the National Action party, or PAN, President Vicente Fox. PRI opposition in the legislature stymied most of those proposals. | The appeal is ironic given the similarity of his stated priorities of fiscal, labour, energy and social security reforms with the wish lists of the outgoing president, Felipe Calderón, and his immediate predecessor and fellow member of the National Action party, or PAN, President Vicente Fox. PRI opposition in the legislature stymied most of those proposals. |
| "It is the paradox of the PRI," says political analyst Juan Pardinas. "Peña Nieto must show he can meet the expectations he has raised that the PRI will be more effective in government because it knows how to manage the complexities of Mexican politics better than the rest." | "It is the paradox of the PRI," says political analyst Juan Pardinas. "Peña Nieto must show he can meet the expectations he has raised that the PRI will be more effective in government because it knows how to manage the complexities of Mexican politics better than the rest." |
| Pardinas also stresses that while the party does have decades of experience handling federal power, it has never had to do this in a context of full political plurality. "We are in virgin territory for the dinosaur," he says. | Pardinas also stresses that while the party does have decades of experience handling federal power, it has never had to do this in a context of full political plurality. "We are in virgin territory for the dinosaur," he says. |
| While some of the reforms could be approved with the co-operation of the PAN alone, any constitutional changes will also need help from a resurgent left. Independently of the presidential result, Sunday's other elections established the left as the second force in Congress, gave it two new state governorships, and consolidated its control of the capital by a landslide. | While some of the reforms could be approved with the co-operation of the PAN alone, any constitutional changes will also need help from a resurgent left. Independently of the presidential result, Sunday's other elections established the left as the second force in Congress, gave it two new state governorships, and consolidated its control of the capital by a landslide. |
| López Obrador's burgeoning challenge of the election result is currently not expected to escalate into the full-scale political crisis that followed his refusal to accept defeat in the 2006 elections. But it may keep questions of Peña Nieto's legitimacy alive, particularly if the student movement that has focused attention on his relationship with the media continues to mobilise against him. | López Obrador's burgeoning challenge of the election result is currently not expected to escalate into the full-scale political crisis that followed his refusal to accept defeat in the 2006 elections. But it may keep questions of Peña Nieto's legitimacy alive, particularly if the student movement that has focused attention on his relationship with the media continues to mobilise against him. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |