Good News From Chiapas

The big news coming from Mexico’s state of Chiapas is not the results of last week’s elections but the absence of violence or allegations of ballot fraud.

Skeptics may look at the turnout--between 35% and 45% of eligible voters--and disparage the prospects of democracy, but they should keep in mind that 45% appears robustly enthusiastic compared with the 41% of eligible Californians who voted in our last state elections. And this is in a troubled, indeed nearly lawless corner of Mexico where any travel can be dangerous.

Under these circumstances, and in light of the flooding that occurred at election time, there’s a message that democracy in Chiapas, if not healthy, is at least a goal of the citizens. At stake in the elections were seats in the state legislature and municipal governments. Mexico’s ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party maintained its hold in both the legislature and the city halls, an advantage it has held since 1995. The left-wing Democratic Revolutionary Party also held onto 1995 gains, while the center-right National Action Party got a piece of the cake as well.

Yes, that’s democracy, but alas it does not signal peace in Chiapas. None of the parties that can bring peace have put forward a feasible plan to heal the southern state. The Zapatista rebels, the presidential representatives and the three main political parties say they are waiting for the “right time” to sit down and talk peace.

Could this be it? The Chiapas conflict between rich and poor, left and right, is ripe for a solution. The election was empowering to all parties, raising public hopes that they will feel strong enough to strike a deal that will end the Chiapas tragedy. The government in Mexico City should seize this moment.