Heartbeat of Mexico #142 10/1/97 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source: Fronteras Comunes MEXPAZ ANALYSIS # 142 "Heartbeat Of Mexico" October 2, 1997 Who gets what commissions in the House of Representatives - Dissent from the PRI - Just division of powers: the opposition block - PRI: their resistance to a new reality After a month of discussions and negotiations between the so-called Opposition Block (formed by the National Action Party - PAN -, the Democratic Revolution Party - PRD -, the Workers Party - PT - and the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico - PVEM -) and the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the 30th of September ("La Jornada", Oct. 1) was a historical day in which the House of Representatives voted on 51 presidencies for new commissions and legislative committees, dividing the representation of each party to preside in all committees. As excepted, the PRI voted against loss of blanket control of the commissions, calling it an unjust and anti-democratic decision. The opposition block voted 259 in favor, and the PRI voted 234 against. Each party will preside the following number of commissions: PRI: 28 commissions and committees PAN: 14 commissions and committees PRD: 14 commissions and committees PT: 2 commissions and committees PVEM: 2 commissions and committees Those commissions with considerable importance for each party: PAN - Constitutional Matters, Administration, Income Tax Accounts; PRI - Internal Revenue; PRD - National Revenue and Public Expenditure, Education, Social Insurance; The PRI's historical control of the Congress is diffused as the opposition members are placed in those strategic commissions and committees that, by their nature are critical to the government in setting the economic and political agenda for the nation. ANALYSIS The manner in which the commissions are distributed re-inserts the necessary system of checks and balances essential to the legislative branch. However, the PRI considers the opposition's victory to be political revenge and a manifestation of those practices criticized in the past. The tense and static negotiations with pri-ists in the weeks that anticipated the committee elections, was due to their refusal to accept a reality that presents a unprecedented correlation of forces. Two different meanings of pluralism emerged. For the opposition parties acting in conformity with the results the past July 6th elections, the project lies in decentralizing decision-making powers and restricting the control exercised by the President, and thereby reconstructing the autonomy of the legislative branch. For the PRI, plurality is limited to tolerance for other parties. Their argument relies on their overall national presence and proportionate majority, thereby privileging them to chair all critical commissions like those of Administration and National Revenue. These committees would assure their control of Congress. However, the election results on the 6th of July proved that gone-bys are gone-bys, and the time to initiate a process which nurtures democratic practices in at least one of the many knots which link politics, economics and society has come. On the heels of 57 legislative decisions, it is not surprising that the PRI has expressed so much resistance and continues to bulk at the opposition, and eventually self-contradicting themselves. The pri-ests categorically label the opposition anti-democratic without criticizing their past. Did they practice consensus ? Keeping in mind that the opposition block is composed of various parties, the fallacy of the PRI's claims are exposed. In anticipation of the official party's attitude and divisive tactics, the 4 parties in the opposition conceded to many points in order to reach agreement and create the united block key to the legislative and democratic future. Of course, the objective is not to block all governmental initiative, nor reject their position a priori, but rather provide avenues for exhaustive discussion on all initiatives and to persuade through arguments and not corruption. The formidable challenge for the PRI is to adapt and change according to external forces in Congress. Although there has been some gain in election practices, pri-ests will have to decide if they join Mexican society on their march towards democracy. Javier Medina David Crow Fronteras Communes e-mail : frontcomunes@laneta.apc.org MEXPAZ An electronic bulletin collectively produced by: CRT: Centro de Reflexio'n Teolo'gica; SIPRO: Servicios de informacion procesada, A.C.; FC: Fronteras Comunes; CENCOS: Centro de comunicacion social, A.C.; CONPAZ: Coordinacion de organismos no-gubernamentales por la paz; PRODH: Centro de Derechos Humanos, Miguel Agustin Pro; CEE: Centro de Estudios Ecume'nicos; CAM: Centro Antonio de Montesinos; CONAI: Comision nacional de intermediacion; EP: Equipo Pueblo. The material produced by MEXPAZ remains the intellectual property of MEXPAZ. It should NOT be reproduced by e-mail, rather we recommend that people with e-mail subscribe themselves. 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