News Summary for Abril 23, 2008

++ The Senate Energy Committee came up with proposal to carry out debate on energy reform for 72 days, from May 12 to July 22… The Senate political affairs board was expected to approve the proposal. Senate Energy Committee secretary, PRD member Graco Ramírez, said his party endorses the proposal but the Broad Progressive Front had still not decided.

++ The chairman of the Senate Political Affairs Board, Manlio Fabio Beltrones, said the debate on energy reform would last “the amount of time that is necessary” so as to later adopt the measures Mexico needs on the subject.

++ Meeting at a separate venue, the Chamber of Deputies approved steps to choose three new IFE councilors as well as the comptroller general of the institute.

++ Meanwhile, President Felipe Calderón said that the PRD “is making a fool of itself” with the takeover of Congress.

++ And Ruth Zavaleta, the speaker of the Lower House of Congress said Calderón’s remarks, made in New Orleans, were uncalled for and did nothing to solve the crisis.

++ The PRD national council appointed Graco Ramírez, who belongs to the New Left faction within the party, and deputy Raymundo Cárdenas, of the United Left movement, as “representatives” to temporarily substitute Leonel Cota and Guadalupe Acosta Naranjo who have stepped down as president and secretary general after their terms ended.

++ Graco Ramírez said that the vote count in six conflictive states had been completed, so only three more states were pending.

++ Police detained a U.S. soldier in Ciudad Juárez who was trying to introduce several weapons into Mexico, amongst them an R-15 automatic rifle.