Fox-PAN relations turn cold: row over nomination of candidates for 2006 divides president and his ruling party.President Fox has officially been left in the dust as the race to find the National Action Party (PAN) candidate for the 2006 presidential election kicked into high gear in May. Before the PAN took over Los Pinos Los Pinos is Mexico's official presidential residence, the home – for a six-year period – of the President of Mexico. Located inside the Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Park) in central Mexico City, it has been in use since 1934 when Gen. in 2000, the outgoing president An outgoing president is a president or, generally, other head of state or government when he holds office between the election of his successor and the inauguration by which that successor assumes power. tightly controlled who would be his party's next presidential candidate. After consulting with party members, Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI PRI: see Institutional Revolutionary party. (Primary Rate Interface) An ISDN service that provides 23 64 Kbps B (Bearer) channels and one 64 Kbps D (Data) channel (23B+D), which is equivalent to the 24 channels of a T1 line. ) presidents would endorse a candidate and he would subsequently become the official nominee. As it stands today, the process of presidential succession In politics, presidential succession is a series of steps established by the government of a nation or state to assure a smooth transition of power should the president, vice president, or any other executive authority be unable to complete their duties. within the PAN is in total disarray. This is due mainly to a complete lack of written regulations between the Fox administration and PAN factions around the country. NO LONGER A HEAVYWEIGHT Fox's political influence has decreased recently for a variety of reasons. Some of these include his resistance to include well-known PAN members in his Cabinet, the perpetual lack of agreements with Congress needed to pass pending structural reforms and the political involvement of First Lady Martha Sahagun, who has not been ruled out as a PAN presidential candidate. These reasons have also helped to undermine Fox's power over his Cabinet, as well as inside the party, in the struggle to nominate a candidate. The PAN has its own problems complicating the process of selecting a presidential candidate. It had a very poor showing in the 2003 midterm mid·term n. 1. The middle of an academic term or a political term of office. 2. a. An examination given at the middle of a school or college term. b. midterms A series of such examinations. elections, there has been conflict over the Amigos de Fox Amigos de Fox was the name of the civil organization of support of Vicente Fox as the President of Mexico. This organization was created in 1999 by the late José Luis González González (a.k.a. team that was in charge of Fox's campaign fund raising and there is a feeling that Sahagun's political aspirations are creating an uneven playing field for aspiring PAN presidential candidates. Little by little these reasons have chipped away at Fox's relationship with his party. On July 17,2003, President Fox waved the flag that began the presidential race. The media jumped on his declaration that the race would be "helpful in reaching agreements between the parties and the government." Fox said, "every party and every person has their eyes on the 2006 election. There are those who deny they will enter but the truth is the race is on for the next president ... I disagree with Verb 1. disagree with - not be very easily digestible; "Spicy food disagrees with some people" hurt - give trouble or pain to; "This exercise will hurt your back" the criteria of the past, we must put a stop to those practices when the president squashed each head that tried to get out in front." JUMPING THE GUN At the PAN's National Assembly in May, someone did attempt to get a jump on the competition. His name was Felipe Calerdon. The party approved a selection process for the presidential candidate, which was proposed by a group representing ex-Energy Secretary Calderon. The approved selection process, which allows only party members and not citizens at large to choose the PAN candidate, did little to help Interior Secretary Santiago Creel Santiago Creel Miranda (b. December 11 1954 in Mexico city) is a Mexican politician. He is a member of the conservative National Action Party (PAN). He earned a Law degree from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). and Martha Sahagun, who are more popular among Mexicans and who are the aspirants closest to Fox. In retaliation RETALIATION. The act by which a nation or individual treats another in the same manner that the latter has treated them. For example, if a nation should lay a very heavy tariff on American goods, the United States would be justified in return in laying heavy duties on the manufactures and , President Fox publicly reprimanded the Jalisco arm of the PAN for nominating Calderon as a precandidate, as well as Calderon himself for participating in the event. In response, Calderon resigned as Fox's energy secretary, which forced the party to confront the president. Fox warned his Cabinet that if they were interested in running for president, they must first give up their post. The PAN on the other hand decided to allow party members to continue their jobs and be presidential candidates--a virtual show of support for Calderon. Not only did this succession struggle cost Fox prestige, influence and control within his party, it also reduced the number of those willing to push his agenda around the country to solidify the changes his government wants. If Fox hopes to shore up support for his electoral reforms Electoral reform projects seek to change the way that public desires are reflected in elections through electoral systems. Reform projects can include measures designed to reform political parties (typically changes to election laws); to redefine citizen eligibility to vote; to and finalize electricity reforms, his government must do something it has never done before and negotiate with PRI leader Roberto Madrazo Roberto Madrazo Pintado (born July 30, 1952) is a Mexican politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was the candidate of the alliance between his party and the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM) in the 2006 Mexican presidential election. . If this happens, it would be the realization of one of the greatest fears of traditional PAN party ideals: the government of change negotiating with the old regime party. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Commentary by Joel Estudillo Rendon Joel Estudillo Rendon is a member of the board of the Mexican Institute for Political Studies. |
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