Party of the Democratic Revolution

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Template:Politics of Mexico Image:Partido de la Revolucion Democratica.gif The Party of the Democratic Revolution (in Spanish: Partido de la Revolución Democrática, PRD) is one of the three main political parties in Mexico.

1 History
2 Electoral Presence
3 Video Scandals
4 2006 Presidential Elections
5 External link

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History

Founded in Mexico City on May 5, 1989 by Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano, Heberto Castillo, Gilberto Rincón Gallardo, Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, other prominent PRI members and left-wing politicians. The party was originally founded by including many smaller left-wing parties such as the Partido Comunista Mexicano (PCM, Communist Party of Mexico), Partido Socialista Unificado de México (PSUM, Unified Socialist Party of Mexico), and Partido Mexicano Socialista (PMS, Mexican Socialist Party). The PMS donated its registration with the Federal Electoral Commission (CFE) to enable the new party to be established.

It was proclaimed to be the party of the 6 de julio (July 6), referring to the date of the 1988 presidential election where it is alleged that Cárdenas, the candidate of a coalition of center-left parties called Frente Democrático Nacional (Democratic National Front) won the election but was denied victory by fraudulent means. Victory was instead handed to PRI candidate, Carlos Salinas de Gortari.

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Electoral Presence

The party has a strong electoral presence in central and southern Mexico. It has won gubernatorial races in several states including Baja California Sur, Chiapas, Guerrero, Michoacán and Zacatecas. It has also maintained control over the Federal District (Mexico City) ever since the city's voters were first allowed to elect local authorities in 1997. In the 2003 local elections, 13 of the Federal District's 16 boroughs (delegaciones) were won by PRD candidates.

In the 2000 presidential election the Alianza por México (the "Alliance for Mexico", comprising the PRD and four smaller parties) candidate Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano won 16.6% of the popular vote and 15 seats in the Senate. Three years later in the 2003 legislative elections the party won 17.6% of the popular vote and 95 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.

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Video Scandals

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The party had enjoyed a reputation of honesty unmatched by its competitors until the "Video Escándalos" (Video Scandals), a series of videos where notable party members were taped receiving cash funds or betting large sums of money in a Las Vegas casino. Party members who were seen on the video tapes were expelled from the party.

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