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Mexico is a constitutional republic with 31 states and a Federal District (Mexico City):
Congress of the Union Mexican SenateNORTH: Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, Durango, Sinaloa, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, Veracruz
CENTRAL: Federal District, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Guanajuato, Queretaro, Mexico, Morelos, Tlaxcala, Puebla
SOUTH: Michoacan, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Quintana Roo
There are nearly a dozen political parties, the most important of which are:
The relatively new Federal Electoral Institute plays a judicial watchdog role for these parties during elections, while managing and distributing party and electoral federal funding.
The President of Mexico is Dr. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon (biography). He replaced assassinated presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio to win the 1994 presidential elections for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). As president, Zedillo has tremendous power, including a veto on all legislation and the ability to remove state governors. In an effort to democratize his own party, Zedillo has renounced the traditional practice known as the dedazo, the power to name his successor from among PRI party members or his present Executive. In the past, the candidate chosen was a minister of the Executive. Since its formation in 1929, the PRI has never lost a presidential election.
Zedillo's Executive 1995-2000:
Carlos Salom�n Camara, Comunicaci�n Social de la Presidencia | Germ�n Fern�ndez Aguirre, Direcci�n de Asuntos Jur�dicos de la Presidencia
Francisco Labastida Ochoa, Secretar�a de Gobernaci�n | Former: Emilio Chuayffet Chemor June 1995 to December 1997 | Esteban Moctezuma Barrag�n December 1994 to June 1995
Jos� Angel Gurr�a Trevi�o, Relaciones Exteriores | Jesus Reyes Heroles Gonz�lez Garza, Energ�a, Minas e Industria ParaestatalReplaced: Jos� Ignacio Pichardo Pagaza
Guillermo Ort�z, Hacienda y Cr�dito P�blico Replaced: Jaime Jos� Serra Puche
Carlos Ruiz Sacrist�n, Comunicaciones y Transportes Replaced: Guillermo Ortiz Martinez,
Carlos Rojas Gutierrez, Desarrollo Social
Agricultura y Recursos Hidr�ulicos: Replaced: Arturo Warman Gryj and Francisco Labastida Ochoa
Miguel Li�n Rojas, Educaci�n P�blica Replaced: Fausto Alzati Araiza
Herminio Blanco Mendoza, Comercio y Fomento Industrial |
Jorge Madrazo Cuellar, Procuradur�a General de la Rep�blica (since December 2, 1996 Replaced: Antonio Lozano Gracia (removed 02/Dec/96)
Gen. Enrique Cervantes Aguirre, Defensa Nacional | Jos� Ram�n Lorenzo Franco, Secretar�a Naval
Arsenio Farell Cubillas, Contralor�a General de la Federaci�n y Desarrollo Administrativo: Replaced: Norma Samaniego
Juan Ram�n de la Fuente Ram�rez, Salud | Javier Bonilla Garc�a, Trabajo y Previsi�n Social Replaced: Santiago O�ate Laborde
Arturo Warman Gryj, Reforma Agraria Replaced: Miguel Lim�n Rojas | Silvia Hern�ndez, Turismo | Julia Carabias, Pesca | Oscar Espinosa Villarreal, Departamento del Distrito Federal
Jos� Antonio Gonz�lez Fern�ndez, Procuradur�a General de Justicia del Distrito Federal Replaced: Rub�n Valdez Abascal
Roberto Miranda S�nchez, Estado Mayor Presidencial |
Liebano Saenz, Secretar�a de la Presidencia | Luis Tellez Kuenzler, Oficina de la Presidencia |
Miguel Mancera Aguayo, Banco de M�xico