Mission Impossible at the Congress

Mission Impossible at the Congress

There are only ten ordinary meetings left for the Congress and, because realism is usually pessimistic, a low legislative productivity is highly expected, both at the Higher and Lower Chambers. We must not forget the agenda of the Senate , for instance, includes the appointment of the next head of the Bank of Mexico , who will come to replace Agustín Carstens . And we've been told that in San Lázaro the coordinator of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), César Camacho Quiroz , will concentrate all his efforts in reaching agreements on behalf of the Law on Internal Security, promised to the Armed Forces so they can have a legal framework to operate against organized crime. We've been told Mr. César is looking for the greatest majority of votes in favor so the minutes go as solid as they can to the Senate to be voted on. A mission impossible no doubt, when talking about anything controversial…

Time to leap

By the way, after approving the Expenditure Budget this week, we'll see if the legislators have a real commitment to making some progress on the pending issues they've been dragging from previous terms. According to our sources, during this tumultuous period many of those who want to be candidates also request a leave of absence to leap forward. Thus, we'll wait and see what those many are made of and if they are indeed capable of fulfilling their obligations, or if they are going to be tempted to leap like frogs from their posts.

A shadow of a doubt in the Citizen's Front for Mexico

In the interior of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) they are not at all convinced they have to position the brand of the Citizen's Front for Mexico, formed by the National Action Party ( PAN ), Democratic Revolution Party ( PRD ), and the Citizen's Movement Party ( MC ). This week they unveiled the emblem of the Front. However, within the ranks of the PRD voices claim it's a mistake to campaign with that idea because, in the end, on the election day the political parties will appear independently in the presidential ballot – the emblem of the Front for Mexico will not be shown, reason why they wonder why is it needed to campaign with the idea of a Front when at the end of the day each party will have to paddle its own canoe? What matters is the negotiations between the three parties are on their way and don't seem to backtrack.

The PRI, leaning to the left?

The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) sees in Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) , national leader of the National Regeneration Party ( MORENA ), the main adversary, as he is, presently, the most representative figure of the left current. In fact, the PRI isn't all that concerned with the Citizen's Front of the National Action Party (PAN), Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), and the Citizen's Movement Party (MC) – the latter two aligned with the left. Reason why yesterday it caught the attention of more than one the message delivered by Ivonne Ortega Pachecho at the Colosio Foundation in Mexico City – and let's be clear Ms. Ivonne isn't seen at all as a possible presidential candidate nominee. “The party must recover the values of the left, which belong to its revolutionary and social roots.” Several arched their eyebrows at that statement of aligning the values of the PRI to the left, when AMLO is the true enemy to defeat.

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