Ulises Ruiz... the Denny Hastert of Mexico?

... or... I've fallen and I can't get up! No... not that he's covering up sex crimes (that'd be Enrique Peña, the PRI-governor of the State of Mexico)but that he's trying to blame his own incompetence on others -- or, rather on others who expose his incompetence. Another key ally, PAN congressional leader, Jorge Zermeño, is now calling for Ruiz' resignation. The Fox administration has been claiming that destitution (that is the legal term for removing an incompetent elected official) would be undemocratic, but... given that it's the people who want Ruiz out... nothing undemocratic about it at all (assuming he was even democratically elected to begin with -- which is, itself, a dubious proposition, as reported yesterday in ¡Para justicia y liberdad!). What foreign reports fail to note (though the ¡Para justicia...! report does note) is that much of the opposition comes from PRI organziations within Oaxaca. It's the party's own fault -- trying to be everything to everybody for too many years, it's natural that there are huge blocs in opposition. Just like Denny Hastert cannot on the one hand claim he's representing a "moral majority" while simultanously presiding over immoral and unethical blocs within that same party. Along with party-leader Zermada of PAN, the PRD congressional delegation is now also calling for destitution, which the Senate has every right to do. Maybe President Fox forgot how democratic it was back when he tried to have AMLO destituted by the Senate about two years ago. As Kelly Arthur Garrett reports in today's Mexico City Herald:

"Not only is (Ruiz) unable to govern, he is responsible for the breakdown of political and social coexistence in Oaxaca," said Carlos Navarrete, the PRD Senate coordinator. "The state legislature has difficulty holding sessions ... the state capital is socially and economically paralyzed ... tens of thousands of children have been out of school for months, (and) the productive sector is suffering enormous losses." The Senate´s Interior Committee would hear debate on the removal procedure, known as "desaparición de poderes públicos," or disappearance of state control. The membership of that committee was just decided on Tuesday. Presiding over it will be Jesús Murillo Karam, a PRI senator opposed to the removal of Ruiz. But Javier González Garza, the PRD floor leader in the Chamber of Deputies, said he was confident that all sides will soon realize that a Ruiz exit is the only way forward toward a solution to the Oaxaca crisis. "His resignation alone won´t solve all the problems, but the problems won´t be resolved without his resignation," he said. "Ulises has to step aside to clear the way for all the parties involved to discuss (solutions)." González Garza said he supported an effort in the Senate to have Ruiz removed, but said he thinks the governor will step down before the process is complete. "He´s already fallen," the deputy said. "But nobody has told him yet."

Meanwhile, the APPO and citizen's representatives (led by Francisco Toledo) have walked out of negotiations within Mexico City, claiming Ruiz has to go before talks can continue. Ruiz was present at the meeting. "He's already fallen..." sounds like Hastert to me.