Mexico’s ruling party limps to victory

MEXICO’S ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) limped to victory in a key state election on Sunday, according to preliminary projections of results.

These were quickly challenged by the leftist party beaten into second place.

The winning party, however, was heading for a loss in one state and struggling in another.

The putative win in the State of Mexico was a close call for President Enrique Pena Nieto’s PRI, which has governed it for nearly nine decades. It will not end the aspirations of leftists led by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, an early favourite for next year’s presidential race.

Despite its apparent victory against a party founded only three years ago, the PRI still has to battle widespread anger at corruption and rising violent crime under Pena Nieto as the countdown starts for the July 2018 presidential election.

With 83 percent of returns in, PRI candidate Alfredo del Mazo had 33 percent of the vote compared with 31.2 percent for Delfina Gomez, the candidate of Lopez Obrador’s National Regeneration Movement.

Reuters