López Obrador rejects criticism of party’s candidate selection process

Mexico City, Sep 7 (EFE).- Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador rejected Thursday former Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard’s criticism of the process through which his party, the National Regeneration Movement (Morena), chose Claudia Sheinbaum as its presidential candidate for 2024.

“I disagree with Ebrard’s accusations because it is evident, completely transparent, there was no tipping of the scales in favor of anyone. I have principles and ideals. I do not have a double discourse,” declared the president in his daily press conference.

Sheinbaum, former head of government of Mexico City, triumphed on Wednesday night in the Morena race after obtaining 39.4% of support in the survey of the Commission of the Center for Statistical and Social Studies of the party, thus surpassing her closest rival, former Foreign Minister Ebrard, who obtained 25.6%.

The ex-mayor led the polls from the beginning to the end. Still, her victory was tarnished by Ebrard’s accusations, who, hours before the announcement, demanded to repeat the process due to an excess of “incidents” that left the contest “without remedy.”

López Obrador defended that the method “is obvious, completely transparent, there was no inclination of the balance in favor of anyone.”

Although in interviews with the media, Ebrard asserted that he would appear on the electoral ballot “yes or yes” in 2024, López Obrador doubted that he or any other losing candidate would abandon the Morena coalition.

The president offered to dialogue with the former Chancellor, who will announce his next steps on Monday.

“We have to wait for Marcelo Ebrard’s decision. We hold him in very high esteem; he is our partner, our friend, but he is free to make the decision he deems most convenient”, the President added.

ppc/ar/ics