Manlio Fabio Beltrones, national leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), announced the start of the PRI’s campaign for the election of the Mexico City Constitutional Assembly, which will take place on June 5, by criticizing the record of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), that has governed the city for almost two decades. Beltrones blamed the PRD for what he called the “chaos” that exists in Mexico City, and promised to work to eradicate the “electoral clientism” that 19 years of PRD governments have created in the capital.
The leader of the Mexico City PRI, Mariana Moguel, criticized the PRD’s method of governing in the capital, especially its management of public works. Moguel demanded that files belonging to former PRD mayor Andrés Manuel López Obrador be released in order to “make public the corruption” of the PRD.
Beltrones pointed to specific examples of what he sees as bad governing by the PRD.
“Many years of disorder and electoral clientelism of the most vulgar sort,” said Beltrones. “Mexico City has been subjected to the capricious decisions of the bad governments; they have been sowing chaos in this city for 19 years. All of the bad governments that have ruled this city have only tried to build a system of electoral-political control that allows them to survive notwithstanding their bad judgement and bad decisions.”
Beltrones acknowledged that his party is at a disadvantage in the city, and claimed that the PRD works to maintain poverty in order to use the poor for electoral clientelism. He said that the PRI will go to the Constitutional Assembly to debate about how to build a capital city of the future. The city’s constitution, he said, should defend the rights of citizens and “avoid electoral clientelism.”
Moguel said that the PRI also hopes to use the Constitutional Assembly to improve access to drinking water, safe mobility, dignified public spaces, a clean and healthy environment, human rights and gender equality.
THE NEWS