[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 111 (Thursday, August 11, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 11, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                     THE UPCOMING MEXICAN ELECTIONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Kolbe] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Speaker, 2 days ago I took a 5-minute special order in 
order to discuss the forthcoming elections in Mexico with my 
colleagues. Considering all the critical issues that we are dealing 
with here, I know it is very hard for us to turn our attention to 
something which seems as remote as that and far removed from our own 
domestic policy concerns as well as our own domestic political 
concerns. But I want to take this 5 minutes just to continue to share a 
few observations based on my visit to Mexico this past weekend where I 
had an opportunity to meet with election officials as well as political 
party individuals and to see some of the work that is going on with 
regard to this election. Because, Mr. Speaker, I think this election is 
not only, as I said 2 days ago, the most important in Mexico's history, 
this election may also be one of the most important for the United 
States for our foreign policy in Latin America and certainly for our 
relationship with Mexico.
  It is my view that the government of Mexico has done everything that 
is conceivable to try to ensure a fair and open and free election, one 
that is devoid of the kind of manipulation that has characterized past 
elections in Mexico. That is not to say, Mr. Speaker, that there will 
not be inequities in the election, that there would not be things that 
would be characterized as illegalities or unusual procedures, but I 
believe that at the level of the government of Mexico, every effort is 
being made to minimize those and to assure that that does not occur. 
But an election as we know consists of thousands and tens of thousands 
of people all over the country manning polling booths from the large 
cities to the small communities in that country as well as it would in 
this country. So some of inequalities and the illegal procedures that 
may creep in may be done at a very local level.
  What is the outlook for this election? There are three major 
candidates and four others who are minor candidates who are running. 
The three major candidates represent the party of the government, the 
PRI; they represent the traditionally conservative market-oriented 
party called the PAN; and the leftwing, or more liberal party, the PRD. 
The PRI has not lost an election since 1927 when it was formed. It is 
likely this time, in my judgment, to come out on top with the vote but 
probably for the first time in its history without a majority. 
Obviously I cannot say. My judgment is only based on conversations and 
polling data that I have seen, not on anything else that I could judge. 
But I believe that it is likely that we will see a victory by a 
plurality perhaps for the PRI but with very close following by both the 
PAN and the PRD. That is going to mean a very major change in the 
politics within the country of Mexico, because it will mean that this 
government for the first time cannot claim to have the mandate of the 
majority of the people of Mexico. We have had that historically in our 
country in many, many elections and, of course, our current President 
was elected with considerably less than 50 percent of the electorate. 
But that does not mean he cannot govern and it does not mean that the 
President of Mexico would not be able to govern. But it does mean 
reaching a different kind of consensus than has been done in the past 
in order to achieve a government that can work effectively with 
minority parties.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that these elections are of enormous 
importance to Mexico as they proceed with the transformation of their 
country to a democracy. The changes that have taken place in Mexico 
under President Salinas have been enormous, but they have been largely 
geared toward economic reform. Now we are seeing the next step. Even as 
I argued the other day in the China MFN debate that increased trade and 
increased economic activity will lead to increased political freedom, 
that is exactly what we are seeing in Mexico.
  So I want to urge my colleagues as we finish up our work around here 
for the month of August, before we go home, to try to keep some of 
their attention on this absolutely critical election for our neighbor 
to the south of us, a neighbor with a rapidly growing economy, a 
neighbor with 85 million people in it, a neighbor which is vital to our 
own interests in Latin America and the world. I know that all my 
colleagues join in wishing the Mexican people well in this election as 
they move toward a transformation to democracy.

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