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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | November 2006 
Lawmakers Mix It Up In Mexico Congress
 Julie Watson - Associated Press
| | Mexican legislators yell and push in the Congress hall, interrupting a session in Mexico City, Mexico, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2006, just days before President-elect Felipe Calderon is to be named president. Leftist lawmakers supporting his chief rival, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, took over the podium to protest Friday's inauguration of the business-friendly president-elect. (AP/Eduardo Verdugo) |
Leftist and ruling party lawmakers came to blows in Congress Tuesday amid preparations for the inauguration of President-elect Felipe Calderon, who named to his Cabinet a career ambassador and a governor tied to a violent crackdown on demonstrators.
Tuesday's fight was likely a preview of protests to come as Calderon prepares to be sworn in Friday, taking charge of a fiercely divided nation after beating leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador by less than a percentage point.
The congressional chaos began after conservative legislators took over the podium, amid rumors that leftist lawmakers planned to seize Congress, as they did before President Vicente Fox's Sept. 1 state-of-the-nation speech.
The leftists quickly followed, and scuffles broke out as Jorge Zermeno, the president of the lower house, called repeatedly for calm. He then suspended the session until Friday's inauguration, but lawmakers from both parties remained in the chambers, refusing to leave. Party leaders were in talks to end the standoff.
The congressional uproar came hours after Calderon named key members of his Cabinet.
The president-elect has pledged to reach out to the millions who didn't vote for him by building a coalition government that will adopt several of his rival's proposals to help the poor.
So far, however, he has stacked his Cabinet with militants from his National Action Party who are likely to maintain the status quo.
His foreign secretary will be Patricia Espinosa, who was ambassador to several European countries. She pledged to fight for the rights of millions of Mexican migrants living in the United States and maintain the active international role that Fox has promoted during his six-year term.
Arturo Sarukhan, who served as consul general in New York during the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, will be Espinosa's chief aide, in charge of U.S. relations.
Francisco Ramirez Acuna will be the new interior secretary, the government's No. 2 post in charge of domestic security and political affairs. The former Jalisco governor has been criticized for turning a blind eye as police detained dozens of protesters during an international summit in 2004. In a report last week, the U.N. Committee Against Torture expressed concern about the arrests.
Critics said his appointment could signal a departure from Fox's hands-off approach to demonstrations. Ricardo Aleman, a columnist for El Universal newspaper, called him a "barbarian."
Accepting his appointment, Ramirez Acuna pledged to respect human rights and work with unions, rural organizations, university students and opposition parties.
Calderon says his government will ensure Mexico's political and economic stability.
After Tuesday's announcement, Fox praised Mexico democratic advances but said the country "still has some distance to go" and that Calderon would be able to do it.
The U.S. Embassy announced Tuesday that former President George Bush will attend the inauguration, welcoming the Harvard-educated Calderon, who has promised to be tough on drug trafficking while maintaining close U.S. ties.
"I understand the complexity of our relationship with the U.S.," Calderon said. "There is a need to defend migrants' rights while demanding the U.S. take greater responsibility in the matter of drug trafficking, because it is the biggest consumer of drugs in the world and it hasn't done its share."
Drug violence and political violence have rocked Mexico in recent years as Fox, the first opposition president in 71 years, generated widespread frustration with his inability to usher in reforms, alleviate poverty or secure a U.S. migration accord.
Lopez Obrador, who claims the elections were tainted by fraud and government meddling, has declared himself Mexico's "legitimate" president and has set up a parallel government determined to undermine Calderon's administration.
Lopez Obrador's supporters have vowed to block Calderon's inauguration, although they haven't said how.
Earlier Tuesday, a leftist camp outside Calderon's temporary offices prompted him to move his Cabinet announcement to an upscale, Mexico City hotel.
Calderon on Tuesday also named German Martinez as comptroller general and Juan Camilo Mourino as head of the Office of the Presidency, similar to a chief of staff.
Martinez was a federal congressman and the party's electoral representative during the elections. Mourino worked for Calderon when the president-elect was energy secretary under Fox, and more recently coordinated his transition team.
Calderon named members of his economic and social welfare teams last week.
On the Net: President-elect Felipe Calderon's English language Web site |
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