President of the Chamber of Deputies Jesús Zambrano Grijalva expressed confidence that the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) will remain the largest left-wing force in the country, even after they were beaten by the upstart National Regeneration Movement (Morena) in Mexico City and several other states.
In an interview after voting in Mexico City, the legislator said that the election of the Constitutional Assembly represents a step forward towards democratization for all Mexicans.
“Mexico City is taking an important step in broadening its rights, and I am convinced that this will benefit the women and men who live here and help them live better lives,” he said.
On the national level, he noted that more than 96 percent of polling stations were installed without problems, which signifies a victory for Mexican democracy.
However, Zambrano Grijalva expressed concern about the unprecedented smear campaigns that had taken place in Veracruz, Quintana Roo and Tamaulipas, where the presence of organized crime was felt during the elections.
He was also concerned about Durango and Oaxaca, as well as Tlaxcala, where the governor, of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), supported a candidate from the National Action Party (PAN).
In Quintana Roo, Zambrano Grijalva said that he had information that Deputy Joaquín Díaz Mena and Senator Daniel Ávila Ruiz, both of the PAN, were arrested by Federal Police on orders of the Attorney General’s Office (PGR).
The two are accused of electoral crimes. Zambrano Grijalva has already reported the issue to the Interior Secretariat in order to guarantee that the their legislative immunity is respected.
