New Day for Mexico

Mexicans voted for historic change Sunday, turning away from the long-ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party and delivering Los Pinos, the Mexican White House, to Vicente Fox and his conservative National Action Party. Unlike almost all the elections held under the long PRI regime, the PAN victory came under the close supervision and bright lights of the independent Federal Electoral Institute. About 44 million ballots were cast.

A young, urban and educated generation of Mexicans delivered the unthinkable, a changing of the guard in the presidency and the Congress. PAN’s standard-bearer, an irreverent, outspoken business executive, delivered the lethal blow to the PRI’s hope of unending rule.

The PRI’s latest and most progressive leader, President Ernesto Zedillo, said of the results: “Today we have proved that our democracy is mature.” In a powerful wave of votes, PAN made substantial gains both in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. For the next three years, PAN will be the dominant force in Congress. As part of the sweep, the party also won two of three governor’s races, with the third going to the center-left Party of the Democratic Revolution, which held on to power in Mexico City, the capital.

To dismantle the political networks that the PRI has built in its 70 years in power will require extraordinary political skills. Fox has proved himself a formidable force on the campaign trail, but Mexicans do not yet know the man from Guanajuato.

Sunday night, Zedillo went on national television with a message of tolerance and acceptance, setting the tone for what should be a smooth transition of power. He not only congratulated Fox on his victory but invited him to the presidential residence to chart the transfer of power come Dec. 1.

Today’s Mexicans are not looking for a settling of old political differences; what’s important to them is having a safe and prosperous country. Fox should follow the example he set as governor of his home state of Guanajuato and include members of other parties in his Cabinet.

Washington, for its part, should not miss any opportunity to help Mexico consolidate its democracy. That means showing confidence in the new Mexican authorities and the bilateral relationship.