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Do we have a PRI candidate for 2018?

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Enrique Peña Nieto, Mexican President – File photo/EL UNIVERSAL
13/08/2017 |09:00
Redacción El Universal
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Do we have a PRI candidate for 2018?

Finally, the long awaited day has arrived, but Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto told mum about the qualities the next Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) candidate to the Presidency should have. He only spoke about the importance of unlocking the doors for party members and supporters achieved during the 22 National Assembly of the party. Yet he did clarify: without politics, no changes can be achieved. External citizen José Antonio Meade , who was grateful for the openness of the party, was warmly received. 121 photographs were uploaded to the official Facebook account of the Executive Branch and the President only appeared in one with someone of candidate-material: Meade. There were also the smiling depictions of José Narro, Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong, and Eruviel Ávila. The only presence which was truly felt was that of Luis Videgaray, who made a public statement criticizing Donald Trump's threat against Venezuela. But the question remains unanswered: do we have a PRI candidate for 2018?

PRD members form committees...for AMLO

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We're told that current and former leaders of the left Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) have begun their campaign operations, but with the initials of the of the far- left National Regeneration Party (MORENA) . Carlos Sotelo, member of the national leadership, and Pablo Gómez, former national leader of the PRD, made their support known in favor of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) a couple of days ago, and they will begin to integrate committees to support the MORENA leader. PRD members, we're told, have thus begun the territory operation which will extend to other States, in favor of the Tabasco native for the 2018 elections. We're still expecting to see if Alejandra Barrales, national party leader of the PRD, will sharpen her knife for the disloyal members.

Morena's weakness

By the way, our sources say the latest internal analysis of the far- left National Regeneration Party (MORENA) showed some deeply troubling results so close to the 2018 elections: at the North of Mexico, this party is not doing well at all. Mr. Andrés Manuel is very aware of this fact since his days chairing the left Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) , and, above all, when he was a presidential candidate back in 2006 and 2012, flying the PRD's colors, in alliance with the Labour Party (PT) and the Citizen Movement Party. We're told the main weakness of Andrés Manuel López Obrador is that he lacks a good standing in the North. On this matter, our sources claim the Tabasco native has decided to go on tour, during which he has already visited some of the Northern States to strengthen his local committees.

The struggle within the PAN

Yesterday we said that there is an increasing number of whispers within the conservative National Action Party (PAN) saying Ricardo Anaya, the national party leader, would prefer for the election of their candidate to be internal. Yesterday in Tijuana, the candidate nominee Rafael Moreno Valle, also sent out his warning: the nominee unable to win on an election open to the citizens will hardly be able to win the General Election. On this subject, the former Puebla Governor claimed the proposal of the Wide Democratic Front – which would leave the PAN hand-in-hand with the left Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) – needs to be an open election, so the people are able to choose. This is how things currently are for the conservative party, where, by the way, other potential nominees such as Luis Ernesto Derbes, Juan Carlos Romero Hicks, and Ernesto Ruffo have already grabbed their tickets to appear on the promotional PAN spots of the upcoming days.

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