I have an interesting piece of news relative to what I mentioned two days ago would be a major issue to watch in the upcoming weeks; namely, the tension between the determination of the Fox administration to hold the Mexican Independence Day celebrations in the Zocalo capital plaza on the weekend of September 15-16, and by way general information the 16th is Mexico's Independence Day, as they usually do, in spite of the fact that Lopez Obrador's PRD is intending to hold its "Democratic National Convention" in the capital plaza on Sunday the 16th. Fox evidently does not intend to back down.
The following is an excerpt from
an article on the Mexico City newspaper El Universal's web site today
:
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. . .The Presidency of the Republic reiterated that the [the country] will have its Independence Day celebration on the day of the 15th and on the 16th the military parade, and negated reports suggesting that Vicente Fox Quesada would be going to Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato [for the celebrations].
[Presidential spokesman Ruben] Aguilar called on citizens not to reverse themselves in the purchase of pennants and confetti because yes, they will have their Independence Day celebration.
In a press conference spokesman Ruben Aguilar assured everyone that the President "is not going to go" to Dolores Hidalgo and he recalled that it has been 15 days since [Fox made the traditional] shout for Independence there, and on that occasion Vicente Fox indicated that on the 15th he would be in the Zocalo capital plaza in Mexico City.
He put forward that the Governmental Secretariat (Segob) has taken on the task of negotiating with the Head of Government of the Federal District, Alejandro Encinas, so that everything will be ready for these dates.
Therefore, he explained, the negotiation is directly with them and is not by contact with the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD). . . . ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a side note to this issue, there is also
a separate article announcing the offer of the Federal District Head of Government Alejandro Encinas, a Lopez Obrador ally who has supported the PRD's shutdown of the central business district by providing them police protection and who has also stated that he will not recognize Calderon as President, to mediate between the federal government and the PRD over the Indpendence Day celebrations. Fox and his administration have not accepted the offer, as the content above makes clear.
Going back to the article from which I translated the above excerpt, there is an additional statement made by Fox's spokesman which is a response to a charge that has been leveled by
Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, one of the founders of the PRD, to the effect that Fox supposedly met in secret with the Electoral Tribunal prior to its decision to certify Calderon as the winner of the election to influence the process.
Here's a brief look at that:
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. . .On another theme, regarding the statements of Porfirio Muñoz Ledo suggesting that President Fox had met with the magistrates of the federal Electoral Tribunal to try to influence the process, Aguilar said he had an enormous respect for the man, but in this he showed himself in a surprising way in speaking a lie of such dimensions.
"Absolutely not. Absolutely false. I am surprised at the level of irresponsibility at which a [political] actor like Porfirio Muñoz Ledo can come to," he added. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Needless to say; I have a
very very hard time believing this charge. If it were proven it would be a bombshell, which is what the radicals in the PRD are hoping for obviously. So I'm just going to agree with Fox's spokesman and pronounce my judgement that it's a lie.
So; before I get to the next item, it may now be worthwhile to put all of the aforementioned together. We have already introduced developing splits within the PRD in the opening article of this thread and we now see that they are evidently spreading two very large rumours. One; that the federal government is not going to interfere with their "Democratic National Convention" on the weekend of September 15-16, and two; that the Electoral Tribunal's decision was directly influenced by Fox, a charge which is obviously meant to undercut the legitimacy of their deliberations. I submit to everyone that the degree to which any political party, and here I am really referring to the "radical wing of the PRD," relies upon rumour and falsehood is a good indication of its overall state, which is to say "not good." And there's more news surfacing today which says that the PRD is in chaos.
Now; on the surface, I think I can argue that the following appears to indicate real progress in calming tensions in the Mexican Congress. Evidently the ascension of the
Cardenistas (allies of Cardenas) to the leadership positions within the PRD delegations in the national legislature is beginning to turn them towards accommodation with PAN and the PRI. Pay attention everyone; if this holds up, it will represent a marked split with Lopez Obrador and a significant dimunition of his influence.
In the article at:
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/373854.html entitled "PRD Deputies Reach First Agreement with PRI and AN" (AN =
Acción Nacional, a short form for the PAN party), the details are given of an agreement for the yearly rotation of the "Directive Desk" of the Chamber of Deputies (lower house of the Mexican Congress), along with other posts for the next few years. The agreement was put to a vote of the entire chamber and it passed 450 - 19, with 5 abstentions. I believe there are something like 123 PRD Deputies, 16 from the Labor Party, and 17 from the Convergence Party; just to give you an indication of the overall acceptance of the terms by the PRD and its allies. And a second article entitled "
PRD Opens Road to Pacts with PAN and PRI," goes even further in describing a changing mood in the legislature. It still pointed out that the PRD and Labor Party Deputies walked out in protest when the
Bando Solemne (Solemn Proclamation) of Felipe Calderon's victory in the presidential race was read before the chamber, but the 17 Deputies from the Convergence Party remained seated.
Well; how was all this received by Lopez Obrador? Not well, given what is reported. In
an obvious attempt to spin the story of the agreements reached in the legislature, Lopez Obrador's coalition tried to turn attention back to Fox and Calderon, declaring there was no contact "whatsoever" between them. According to the article treating this subject: "Gerardo Fernández Noroña, spokesman for the PRD, rejected that there has been a turn in the PRD benches [in the Congress] which points to the beginnings of negotiation with the other parties in the Congress." And in a reversal of an earlier public stance,
Lopez Obrador has announced that he would like to go to the national legislature, which he was invited to do on the day of Fox's address, but which he declined. The spin on this story, as contained in the article, is that Lopez Obrador put the idea to his advisors in the coalition that he should attend, but he was outvoted and he respected their decision.
Yeah, right!
So I think this pretty much brings us up to date.