News Summary for April 26th, 2008

++ PAN, PRI, Green Ecologist Party, New Alliance and Alternative Party quickly approved a measure to eliminate the Federal District governance clause… thus eliminating the possibility that a party in the future have an absolute majority in the local assembly. The PRD has had an absolute majority in the Federal District since 2007.
++ PRD deputies will file a constitutional controversy complaint against the new measure eliminating the governance clause… The party said that the Lower House of congress approved the measure sent by the Senate with no debate, discussion or even a reading of the document and bypassing all legislative procedures.
++The Nation’s Supreme Court is analyzing the constitutional validity of a decree on the Federal District electoral code…
++ The Broad Progressive Front proposed that discussion on energy reform end on July 31st.
++ PAN president Germán Martínez said he trusted that a faction within the PRD will reject Andrés Manuel López Obrador and enter into the debate on reform to modernize Pemex.
++ The leader of the Social Democratic Party, Alberto Begné, called on the PRD, PT and Convergencia to end their blockade of congress for the good of democracy and the political left in Mexico.
++ President Felipe Calderón said that now is the time for dialogue and agreements within a legal framework… He said that many Mexicans seek to make Mexico a prosperous country.
++ The Baja California Attorney General’s Office said that some cases have been confirmed of police protecting drug-lords, transporting illegal drugs in their patrol cars and taking part in shootouts, as was revealed by General Sergio Aponte, commander of the second military zone.