Mexico president backs ruling party candidate after selection process row

Mexico’s president has expressed his full support for the ruling National Regeneration Movement’s (MORENA) selection of Claudia Sheinbaum as their candidate for the 2024 presidential election. This comes after Sheinbaum’s main rival, Marcelo Ebrard, raised objections about the primary contest and threatened to leave the party. MORENA declared Sheinbaum the winner soon after Ebrard claimed that the process had been tainted by irregularities.

During a press conference, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador spoke highly of Ebrard, describing him as a “very good person,” a good leader, and his friend. He urged Ebrard to remain united with MORENA but rejected his demand for a redo of the polls. Lopez Obrador declared his support for Claudia Sheinbaum, referring to the process as historic and unprecedented.

According to Mexican law, presidents can serve only a single six-year term. If Sheinbaum emerges as the victor, she will become Mexico’s first female leader. Ebrard announced that he will make a decision regarding his next move on Monday and has left open the possibility of running with the center-left Citizens’ Movement, the only major opposition party yet to announce a candidate for the next presidential election.

Ebrard, who has been an ally of Lopez Obrador for over two decades and succeeded him as mayor of Mexico City in 2006, expressed that there is no longer a place for him inside MORENA. Recent polling suggests that Ebrard may face challenges in gathering enough votes to win with the Citizens’ Movement. A voter survey conducted by polling firm Parametria indicated that the Citizens’ Movement received 4% support for the presidency in a generic question that did not mention any candidates, while MORENA and its allies were projected to win 60% or more.

During the press conference, Lopez Obrador speculated about the possibility of Ebrard running for the presidency as an independent candidate. However, a campaign source for Ebrard stated that he currently has no plans to run as an independent.

This article was reported by Dave Graham and additionally by Raul Cortes and Ana Isabel Martinez. It was edited by Stephen Eisenhammer, Mark Porter, and Jamie Freed.