- Title: Mexico's ruling party battles leftist nemesis in key state vote
- Date: 24th May 2017
- Summary: ECATEPEC, STATE OF MEXICO, MEXICO (RECENT - MAY 18, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS PROFANITY*** PLACARD AT PRI RALLY THAT READS "YOUTH" AND FEATURES HASHTAG FOR CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR, ALFREDO DEL MAZO DEL MAZO WAVING TO CROWD CHEERING HIM AT RALLY DEL MAZO SUPPORTERS SHAKING FISTS IN THE AIR AT RALLY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRI CANDIDATE FOR STATE OF MEXICO GOVERNOR, ALFREDO DEL MAZO, SAYING: "We are going to work together to bring this support and these programmes to Ecatepec. We are going to work harder and give it our all so as to give Ecatepec the security that it deserves." SUPPORTERS AROUND DEL MAZO AT RALLY PRI OFFICIAL REPORTEDLY REGISTERING VOTES TO ALLEGEDLY PROVIDE THEM WITH INCENTIVES TO VOTE FOR THE PARTY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RESIDENT, MARIA DE LOS REMEDIOS, SAYING: "Before they started with all of this (campaigning) there was a lot of help. For poor people, they (state government) installed floors, (provided) crockery and that is so Ecatepec is not so screwed as people say." MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (RECENT - MAY 15, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF FEPADE, GOVERNMENT BODY THAT INVESTIGATES ALLEGATIONS OF ELECTORAL ABUSE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR AT FEPADE, SANTIAGO NIEGO, SPEAKING TO REUTERS REPORTER NIEGO SHOWING DOCUMENTS TO REUTERS REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPECIAL PROSECUTOR AT FEPADE, SANTIAGO NIEGO, SAYING: "Legislation prohibits the use of cards as a benefit on the campaign. Political parties cannot offer cards under any pretence, cards which obligate a future action be it immediate or in the long term, or money in return for a vote." NIEGO DURING REUTERS INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPECIAL PROSECUTOR AT FEPADE, SANTIAGO NIEGO, SAYING: "This electoral process is important in that it sends a message that this type of conduct is prohibited, that the prosecutor will investigate it impartially regardless of the political party, regardless of the supporters of the political party, regardless of the candidate or whoever the people or persons are." AMECAMECA, STATE OF MEXICO, MEXICO (RECENT - MAY 13, 2017) (REUTERS) FLAG FOR PAN PARTY AT RALLY PAN CANDIDATE FOR STATE OF MEXICO GOVERNOR, JOSEFINA VAZQUEZ MOTA, GREETING SUPPORTERS AT RALLY VAZQUEZ MOTA CANDIDATES CHANTING AT RALLY VAZQUEZ MOTA TAKING A SELFIE WITH FORMER PRESIDENT FELIPE CALDERON AT RALLY SUPPORTERS CHANTING AT RALLY MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (RECENT - MAY 15, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) POLITICAL ANALYST, IVONNE ACUNA, SAYING: "The result of the election will also be a referendum on the president, it could be for or against. And the president (Enrique Pena Nieto) right now has a very low approval rating, the worst for a president ever since they (opinion polls) were taken. And this weighs on Del Mazo. It drags him down being the president's cousin, it drags him down that he (candidate) is an important person in the political party and so this low popularity (for Pena Nieto) goes against him." ECATEPEC, STATE OF MEXICO, MEXICO (RECENT - MAY 18, 2017) (REUTERS) CARDBOARD CUT OUT OF CARTOON FIGURE OF CANDIDATE DEL MAZO SUPPORTERS AT RALLY HOLDING UP CUT OUT
- Embargoed: 7th June 2017 05:59
- Keywords: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador leftist Alfredo del Mazo PRI MORENA state elections President Enrique Pena Nieto State of Mexico Mexico governor Josefina Vazquez Mota Delfina Gomez PAN
- Location: ECATEPEC, METEPEC, AMECAMECA, STATE OF MEXICO; MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- City: ECATEPEC, METEPEC, AMECAMECA, STATE OF MEXICO; MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0056I750EB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS PROFANE LANGUAGE IN SHOT 21
Nine decades of rule by President Enrique Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in Mexico's most populous state are hanging in the balance in an election that could batter its hopes of keeping power nationally in 2018.
Polls show the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), the new party of veteran leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, could wrest control of the state of Mexico from the PRI by winning the governorship in the June 4 state election, a result that would ramp up the momentum for his bid to succeed Pena Nieto in 2018.
Financial markets are closely watching Lopez Obrador's progress. If he does win in 2018, it could stoke tensions with the United States after President Donald Trump's populist broadsides against Mexico during his own election campaign.
Castigating Pena Nieto for his government's failure to stamp out political corruption and rising gang violence, Lopez Obrador and his candidate for state governor Delfina Gomez have sought to turn the state campaign into a referendum on PRI rule in the biggest remaining bastion of the ruling party.
Pena Nieto hails from the state on the edge of Mexico City, where one in eight of the country's voters live. Before becoming president, he was governor and then helped his PRI successor win election with more than 60 percent of the vote in 2011.
However, surveys show the PRI struggling to muster half that this time.
A survey by newspaper Reforma in late April showed PRI gubernatorial candidate Alfredo del Mazo with the backing of 28 percent of voters, one percentage point behind Delfina Gomez of Lopez Obrador's MORENA party.
Other surveys also predict a close finish with the centre-right National Action Party, or PAN, some way back in third place.
The PRI is reportedly throwing money at its electoral problem. Many people at a del Mazo rally in the city of Ecatepec said they were drawn by the promise of handouts.
According to electoral law in Mexico, providing goods in return for a vote in Mexico is illegal. Still, Lopez Obrador accuses the PRI of doing just that.
The party's choice of del Mazo as candidate - he is both Pena Nieto's cousin, as well as the son and grandson of former PRI governors of the state - has loaded its campaign with political baggage and undercut the message of renewal.
Now 63, Lopez Obrador has likened del Mazo's candidacy to a "monarchy".
With Pena Nieto's popularity at record lows and violence still rampant in many parts of Mexico, the president could contribute to the unseating of the PRI in its traditional stamping ground. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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