A PRD future in Mexico's mainstream?
From The EconomistBackroom boss: The left’s moderate radical
"IT IS an unlikely place for the world’s largest artificial ice-rink. But this month for the second year in a row the Zócalo, Mexico City’s main square, is abuzz with skaters. The rink is the brainchild of Marcelo Ebrard [right], the city’s mayor. Like several of his initiatives, it is practical and popular—the hallmarks of a politician who may be the best hope for Mexico’s deeply divided left...
"[Ebard] has gradually emerged as his own man. To match the winter ice-rink, he created a Parisian-style archipelago of artificial beaches in the summer. To promote cycling a main avenue is closed to traffic on Sundays. He says he wants to set up 400km (250 miles) of cycle lanes. On his watch, Mexico City has become one of the first places in Latin America to ban smoking in bars and restaurants; it is also one of the few places where abortion is legal. The mayor recently promised free Viagra to men over the age of 70. He has also managed to move some 15,000 street vendors out of the city centre—a tricky operation given that they have traditionally formed part of the PRD’s political clientele.
"But his tenure as mayor will be judged on his success in tackling congestion and crime. An ambitious plan to create a network of dedicated bus lanes of equal size to the 175km metro system is behind schedule... The mayor says he will hire 20,000 extra police during his six-year term. He wants to improve their quality...
"The PRD is bitterly split between Mr López Obrador’s followers and a more moderate faction. Mr Ebrard may be one of the few figures who can bridge the divide. He says that Mexico’s deep inequalities mean that the PRD cannot just be a moderate European centre-left party, but nor can it be so radical as to become a movement outside the country’s institutions..."
Labels: leadership, Mexico, parties
posted by Ken Wedding @ 6:27 AM
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