Enrique Peña Nieto Elected President of Mexico

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• Langue: English

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Enrique Peña Nieto Elected President of

Mexico

PR Newswire

MEXICO CITY, July 2, 2012

- Calls for National Unity to Adopt Needed Reforms

MEXICO CITY

,

July 2, 2012

/PRNewswire/ -- Marking an important generational

shift in Mexican leadership, 49 million Mexicans voted Sunday to elect Enrique

Peña Nieto as the 89th President of

Mexico

. According to

Mexico

's Federal

Electoral Institute Peña Nieto, the 45-year-old former Governor of the

State of

Mexico

, will garner about 38 percent of the votes cast, approximately seven

percent higher than the second place finisher. He will take office

December 1,

2012

.

Peña Nieto's victory sets the course for a new direction for the future of

Mexico

. The president-elect built his campaign on an aggressive and highly

detailed set of 255 national and regional "commitments" on which he has

pledged to deliver. It is this style of public accountability and transparency that

has positioned him as a staunch departure from the past reputation of his

party, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (commonly known as the PRI).

In his victory speech, President-elect Peña Nieto stressed the importance of

ending the political polarization in

Mexico

that has prevented the adoption of

critical reforms; continuing the fight against drug trafficking and violence; and

promoting economic growth policies that help alleviate poverty in the country.

Below are translated excerpts from his victory speech, delivered early Monday

morning:

"I will lead a democratic presidency that understands the changes the country has

experienced over the last decades, and acts according to the new democratic realities

that we enjoy today. A full democracy bursting with personal liberties and social

participation. I will lead a modern and responsible presidency, open to criticisms,

always ready to listen and one that will take all Mexicans into account."

"...I reiterate what I have already said in this very hall during the campaign; whoever

does not show a firm commitment to democracy, personal liberties and transparency,

has no place in this project to transform Mexico. We are a new generation. We will not

return to the past. My government will have its eyes set on the future. Mexico has

already changed."

"We will build the results-driven democracy that Mexicans deserve, starting with an

effective, honest, transparent and accountable government. A government that fights

corruption head-on. A democratic government is a government that strictly observes and

ensures the rule of law."

"The fight against crime will continue. Yes, with a new strategy to reduce violence and

protect, above all, the lives of Mexicans. In the face of organized crime, there will be

neither negotiation nor truce."

"We need to promote a renewed free-market economy, but one with a social purpose.

An economy that creates more jobs and better distributes wealth, to combat the poverty

and inequality that still today affect millions of Mexican families."

Peña Nieto has been particularly outspoken about his priorities for economic

growth, job creation and poverty alleviation across

Mexico

. He has promised to

return much needed attention to social issues gone largely unaddressed in

recent years, including a commitment to dramatically increasing high school

completion rates and generating more than a million jobs a year through

greater economic competition and investments in infrastructure.

In addition, he has pledged to continue the fight against organized crime and

drug trafficking that have riddled

Mexico

in recent years. To ensure his success,

Peña Nieto has tapped recently retired Colombian Police Chief, General Oscar

Naranjo, to serve as an advisor on an assertive array of crime-fighting

measures. General Naranjo, decorated as one of the "world's leading crime

fighters" by law enforcement agencies around the globe, will be a valuable

resource in advising how to strengthen our enforcement and improve

cooperation with other countries.

Moreover, Peña Nieto has vowed to regain

Mexico

's foreign policy leadership in

Latin American and to continue to foster strong ties with its North American

neighbors,

the United States

and

Canada

. This includes growing NAFTA beyond

a trade zone and integrating economies through greater investments in

manufacturing and finance. He has also affirmed his intention to pursue more

economic opportunities and integration with

Asia

and the European Union so as

to diversity

Mexico

's economy.

Peña Nieto's election by such a significant margin represents a generational

shift and clear departure from the old notions of the PRI. He has surrounded

himself with a cadre of young technocrats who have brought a wealth of

innovative ideas, a forward-looking vision, and a new direction. Even prominent

political leaders like former President Vicente Fox – a member of an opposing

party – have advocated that the country support Peña Nieto.