Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MEXICO2460
2009-08-19 21:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Mexico
Cable title:
PAN ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT IN WAKE OF PARTY DIVISION
how-toVZCZCXRO6540 RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM DE RUEHME #2460/01 2312102 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 192102Z AUG 09 FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7964 INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RHMFISS/HQ USNORTHCOM RUEAHLA/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 002460
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR MX
SUBJECT: PAN ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT IN WAKE OF PARTY DIVISION
Classified By: Confidential by Political Minister Counselor Charles Bar
clay.
Reason: 1.4 (b),(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 002460
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR MX
SUBJECT: PAN ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT IN WAKE OF PARTY DIVISION
Classified By: Confidential by Political Minister Counselor Charles Bar
clay.
Reason: 1.4 (b),(d).
1. Summary: On August 8, the National Action Party's (PAN's)
Central Committee (CEN) elected Cesar Nava as its new party
president. Nava, President Calderon's hand-picked candidate,
replaces German Martinez who resigned in the aftermath of the
PAN's stinging defeat in the July mid-term elections. PAN
leaders have squabbled openly in recent weeks and have
criticized Calderon's micromanagement of the electoral
campaign. Despite bad blood among factions, most experts do
not expect party tensions to assume the debilitating
character of those that have wracked PAN's leftist rival, the
Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD). PAN malcontents have
little room to maneuver and will not want to undermine the
party's viability in the run up to the 2012 elections. Their
contentiousness, however, could undermine the party's image
in coming months. End Summary.
Criticism of Calderon on the Rise
2. (C) Following PAN's midterm electoral defeat, several
prominent PANistas openly criticized Calderon and former PAN
President German Martinez hijacking the party's historically
open candidate selection process. They voiced their
long-standing frustration that Calderon and Martinez favored
a select few and not particularly qualified party leaders to
develop and implement the party's electoral strategy.
(Critics have singled out Secretary of the Economy, Gerardo
Ruiz Mateos, as an inept presidential confidant.) Following
Martinez's resignation, party critics complained that
Calderon was forcing his replacement on a reluctant party
rank and file. Public complaints reached such proportions,
said a staffer for influential PAN Senator and Calderon
critic Adriana Gonzalez, that Calderon met privately with his
critics in late July in an unsuccessful attempt to build
support for Nava. In the final days before the internal
election, however, the detractors only became more vocal.
3. (C) PAN insider Federico Ling told Poloff that
Calderon's problems within his party are largely due to his
long-standing efforts to marginalize its right flank,
particularly the religious-conservative, "El Yunque" faction.
Cornered members of this group, headed by former party
president Manuel Espino, have sought to build alliances with
other disgruntled PAN party leaders and legislators such as
Santiago Creel, Javier Corral, and Gerardo Priego. The group
was emboldened by the progressive weakening of Martinez (who
had deposed Espino in late 2007 with Calderon's support) over
the weeks leading up to the July 5 elections.
4. (C) Nava's August 8 election by PAN's Central Committee to
complete Martinez's term will probably not end the dispute.
Calderon's former private secretary and close confidant, Nava
was the only candidate to stand for election. While he
easily secured the support of the two-thirds of the Central
Committee required to confirm his election, his opponents
insist that Calderon had strong-armed the Committee to
prevent the emergence of a viable alternative. Espino and
Creel boycotted the election and called on their supporters
to follow suit.
5. Comment: The bickering is not likely to take on the
fratricidal proportions of intra-party conflict within the
PRD. Nava has expressed his commitment to reuniting the
party and promoting structural reforms. For his part,
Calderon has taken a low-key approach to his critics and
refuses to be drawn into public debate. The party remains
united by a strong center-right political agenda and is
uniformly aware that its strategy and tactics in the July
mid-terms were flawed and must be reconsidered.
Nevertheless, several PAN insiders confided that they
envision no quick resolution to the internal tension.
Ultimately, Calderon will not change his governing style, and
his antagonists are not likely to alter their tactics. PAN
faces a potentially bruising candidate selection process for
ten gubernatorial races in 2010, which could further
aggravate tension and project the image of disunity during a
critical period. End Comment.
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American
MEXICO 00002460 002 OF 002
Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap /
FEELEY
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR MX
SUBJECT: PAN ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT IN WAKE OF PARTY DIVISION
Classified By: Confidential by Political Minister Counselor Charles Bar
clay.
Reason: 1.4 (b),(d).
1. Summary: On August 8, the National Action Party's (PAN's)
Central Committee (CEN) elected Cesar Nava as its new party
president. Nava, President Calderon's hand-picked candidate,
replaces German Martinez who resigned in the aftermath of the
PAN's stinging defeat in the July mid-term elections. PAN
leaders have squabbled openly in recent weeks and have
criticized Calderon's micromanagement of the electoral
campaign. Despite bad blood among factions, most experts do
not expect party tensions to assume the debilitating
character of those that have wracked PAN's leftist rival, the
Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD). PAN malcontents have
little room to maneuver and will not want to undermine the
party's viability in the run up to the 2012 elections. Their
contentiousness, however, could undermine the party's image
in coming months. End Summary.
Criticism of Calderon on the Rise
2. (C) Following PAN's midterm electoral defeat, several
prominent PANistas openly criticized Calderon and former PAN
President German Martinez hijacking the party's historically
open candidate selection process. They voiced their
long-standing frustration that Calderon and Martinez favored
a select few and not particularly qualified party leaders to
develop and implement the party's electoral strategy.
(Critics have singled out Secretary of the Economy, Gerardo
Ruiz Mateos, as an inept presidential confidant.) Following
Martinez's resignation, party critics complained that
Calderon was forcing his replacement on a reluctant party
rank and file. Public complaints reached such proportions,
said a staffer for influential PAN Senator and Calderon
critic Adriana Gonzalez, that Calderon met privately with his
critics in late July in an unsuccessful attempt to build
support for Nava. In the final days before the internal
election, however, the detractors only became more vocal.
3. (C) PAN insider Federico Ling told Poloff that
Calderon's problems within his party are largely due to his
long-standing efforts to marginalize its right flank,
particularly the religious-conservative, "El Yunque" faction.
Cornered members of this group, headed by former party
president Manuel Espino, have sought to build alliances with
other disgruntled PAN party leaders and legislators such as
Santiago Creel, Javier Corral, and Gerardo Priego. The group
was emboldened by the progressive weakening of Martinez (who
had deposed Espino in late 2007 with Calderon's support) over
the weeks leading up to the July 5 elections.
4. (C) Nava's August 8 election by PAN's Central Committee to
complete Martinez's term will probably not end the dispute.
Calderon's former private secretary and close confidant, Nava
was the only candidate to stand for election. While he
easily secured the support of the two-thirds of the Central
Committee required to confirm his election, his opponents
insist that Calderon had strong-armed the Committee to
prevent the emergence of a viable alternative. Espino and
Creel boycotted the election and called on their supporters
to follow suit.
5. Comment: The bickering is not likely to take on the
fratricidal proportions of intra-party conflict within the
PRD. Nava has expressed his commitment to reuniting the
party and promoting structural reforms. For his part,
Calderon has taken a low-key approach to his critics and
refuses to be drawn into public debate. The party remains
united by a strong center-right political agenda and is
uniformly aware that its strategy and tactics in the July
mid-terms were flawed and must be reconsidered.
Nevertheless, several PAN insiders confided that they
envision no quick resolution to the internal tension.
Ultimately, Calderon will not change his governing style, and
his antagonists are not likely to alter their tactics. PAN
faces a potentially bruising candidate selection process for
ten gubernatorial races in 2010, which could further
aggravate tension and project the image of disunity during a
critical period. End Comment.
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American
MEXICO 00002460 002 OF 002
Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap /
FEELEY