Perhaps Not Quite a Perfect Election : But Mexico results reveal progress, and clout

Some guys just can’t win. Take Mexico’s President Carlos Salinas de Gortari. He is justifiably praised for making remarkable progress in improving his country’s economy. But he’s faulted for not having as much success in opening up Mexico’s political system.

The fact is that Salinas has tried to reform and modernize Mexican politics to keep pace with the nation’s newly dynamic economy. Among other things, the government has a new computerized voter registration system aimed at reducing fraud. But now Salinas is under attack because the system did not work flawlessly the first time out.

SALINASTROIKA: Halfway through his 6-year term, Salinas has succeeded in opening up an economy long dominated by inefficient and often corrupt state-run monopolies and by heavily protected private companies. He also played a much bigger role than is often realized in persuading President Bush to push the controversial but exciting plan for a North American free trade zone.

Such policies are revolutionary in Mexico. They were dubbed salinastroika-- in an attempt to draw comparisons to the changes Mikhail S. Gorbachev brought to the Soviet Union.

It was because of these and other developments that so much was expected of Salinas on the political front. Although the dominant Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) had never lost a major election in Mexico, the level of voter discontent was such that most observers figured it held onto power through ballot box fraud and, where necessary, intimidation of its opponents.

The hopes of many opposition groups were raised a couple of years ago when PRI lost its first gubernatorial election, in Baja California--and Salinas magnanimously accepted the outcome.

Last week a new round of elections were held, for Congress and governor in six key states. Rival parties expected to make gains but failed. And though there were reports of fraud, they were not as widespread or egregious as in many past elections.

In fact, most Mexican political analysts agreed that the PRI won legitimate, if not overwhelming, victories. The party took 320 out of 500 seats in Congress, giving Salinas a safer margin to push his reforms through.

PRIISTA: The reason most often given for PRI’s success is Salinas’ personal popularity. Mexico’s economy is on the rebound after several years of recession, and that has made the president so popular that candidates he supports win. And, being a loyal Priista, he supports PRI candidates.

So now Salinas’ political opponents have come up with something new, and a bit odd, to hit him with. He’s being criticized because, through his campaigning, Mexican politics is still dominated by the PRI. In effect, he’s being faulted for being an effective politician.

Mexico is no flawless democracy. There are still too many voting irregularities. However, the process is more open than it was. The opposition may just have to wait until Salinas is gone to really test how honest the system is. But, unquestionably, political progress is being made.