Martha Martinez / Reform Agency
Monday, May 08, 2023 | 23:29
Mexico City.- By majority vote, the PRI’s National Political Council approved extending the leadership of the party’s current national president, Alejandro Moreno, until after the 2024 elections.
At the cry of “Alito, Alito!”, the leader’s request, without a specific date for the conclusion of the extension, was endorsed behind closed doors with 518 votes in favor and three against the councilors who participated via zoom, while that those present in the Plutarco Elías Calles auditorium of the party’s national headquarters voted unanimously in favor.
The votes against were from former senator Guadalupe Gómez Maganda and former party leaders Dulce María Sauri and Claudia Ruiz Massieu, who were booed by those present, after demonstrating in favor of the current leadership concluding on August 18, just as Moreno promised on June 15 of last year, during the unprecedented meeting he held with 11 former party presidents.
The first to position against it was Ruiz Massieu, who warned that he will continue expressing his rejection even when it affects his presidential aspiration.
The person in charge of responding to him was the coordinator of the PRI bench in the Tabasco Congress, Maritza Jiménez, who reproached Ruiz Massieu for only thinking about his interests and for participating via zoom so as not to show his face.
Jiménez questioned the senator what she could say, if she is a Salinas, alluding to her uncle, former president Carlos Salinas de Gortari.
Sauri, for his part, spoke out against the extension of the current leadership, considering that it responds to the interests of a single group.
The former leader was answered by the federal deputy and national president of the PRI in Jalisco, Laura Haro.
The legislator accused Sauri of being angry because they did not give her a deputy and warned her that it is time to give way to the new generations. In addition, she blamed her for the party losing the Presidency of the Republic in the year 2000.
“As a young PRI member I continue to pay in the territory for the defeat of the year 2000, by a certain counselor, you were the president of this Committee, I refuse that 23 years later we continue to pay the consequences of those leaders of yesteryear that the only thing they defend is their privileges, that is what makes us doubt twice, today 23 years later they want to continue imposing the rules on the party,” he said.
According to attendees, both Ruiz Massieu and Sauri were whistled by some councilors present in the Plutarco Elías Calles auditorium, booed and yelled “out!”, while others asked them to remain silent.
In his turn, the coordinator of the deputies in San Lázaro, Rubén Moreira, defended the extension to Alejandro Moreno and the Secretary General, Carolina Viggiano, stating that their leadership is supported by an open election in which two million militants participated.
“They have had to live through the most difficult moments in the history of our party, which followed after the biggest defeat we have ever had and in the midst of the biggest economic crisis this party has ever experienced,” he said.
The coordinator of the senators, Manuel Añorve, acknowledged that there is no specific date for the extension of the extension granted to Alito, but said that it should end in the second half of 2024.
Añorve reiterated that the extension of the leadership gives certainty to the tricolor and the Va por México alliance.
“This gives certainty to the alliance, the agreements and, of course, it was a forceful ratification: 518 in favor and three against,” he said.
In his final speech, Moreno called for party unity.
“The most important thing today for the PRI members is to be united, the leadership that I have today I have the honor of sharing with a great woman, a woman of great character, value, committed, professional, she is at work every day” , indicated.
In his turn, Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong affirmed that what happened this afternoon was a farce, because one cannot legislate in favor of oneself.
Until recently, the coordinator of the senators of the tricolor, announced that he will challenge the extension approved this Monday behind closed doors.
