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| 2016 candidate Juan Carillo, elected |
The liquor departments in the grocery stores
are roped off. Large signs proclaim: No alcohol sales today.
The local cantinas and neighbourhood beer
stores are closed up tight. Good
grief! This is Mexico. Normally, beer and bottled coolers are sold in
every corner store, all year round. What’s happening?
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| 2016 Media truck |
It is election time, and Mexico has a
dry law, ley seca, prohibiting the
sale of alcohol on the weekend of the elections. This year, it fell on Saturday, June 4th,
and Sunday, June 5th. The good
thing is that if you are a foreigner and not a Mexican national, you can still access
your favourite beverage in bars and restaurants that cater primarily to
tourists.
The fine to the business owner
for selling alcohol to a Mexican national during the election weekend is 50,000
pesos! Yikes. That’s a lot of lost profit for a two-dollar cerveza.
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| 2010 painted political signs |
The rotation of the three-year terms for
Municipal Presidente, and the six-year term for the State Governors is coming
to an end. National President Enrique Peña Nieto’s term
started December 1st, 2012, and runs until 2018, at which time he is
ineligible to run again for this office.
It is also the law in Mexico that once a candidate fills a position, he
or she cannot run again in the subsequent election. They can try their luck with a different
municipality or the Senate. In
the next election cycle, three or six years later, the previously elected
official may run for re-election.
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| 2013 PAN party parade |
The election weekend is preceded by a
boisterous few weeks of parades, car-mounted loudspeaker announcements, and, of
course, speeches; lots of speeches making pledges that,
like any political promise, may or may not come to fruition.
It’s what politicians the world over do.
Promise heaven and earth, yet deliver only air.
The evenings leading up to the June election are typically punctuated with beeping motos and car horns, loud music, cheering supporters, and hundreds of participants parading in various locations around the island.
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| 2013 Alicia Rincalde, rain for the parade |
Canadian elections are much
more subdued, relying primarily on television advertising and televised
debates. This loud and crazy stuff is a
lot more fun.
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| 2013, buzzing the fishing tournament |
In 2013, a large parade for the PAN party
was led by several young people on in-line skates, waving oversized flags, trailed
by a cadre of bicycle riders and a drum corps. Next came the walking contingent led by the candidate and followed by
the inevitable motos, golf carts, and vehicles. Everyone was cheering, waving, and yelling their candidate’s name. Organized chaos.
Typically, there are brightly-coloured signs
painted on every available flat surface, and posters hung from light poles or
posts. Three years ago, one candidate had
her full-length image mounted on corrugated plastic boards that popped up all
over the island, even during the annual fishing tournament. Three small boats were hired to circulate around the tournament docks with her image displayed proudly in the
bow. We thought it was an inventive
idea.
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| 2013 Agapito Magaña won the election |
Sunday, June 5th, was Election Day
this year, and it was a quiet and subdued campaign. We were barely aware it was happening. We only saw one parade for each of the two
major candidates.
According to a local
source, there are now limits on how much can be spent on promotions, a direct
result of too many signs and posters unclaimed after the 2013 campaign, leaving the
municipality with the cleanup cost.
Even the traditional victory parade for the winning candidate didn’t happen this year.
Even the traditional victory parade for the winning candidate didn’t happen this year.
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| 2016 Juan Carillo PRI parade |
Well, at least we didn’t have to worry about
being thirsty this past weekend. We had
wisely re-stocked our fridge with cold cervezas and wine. Only to start alcohol-free diets on the
following Monday. Talk about bad timing!
As I have discovered, fat cells have GPS. No matter how many times we lose them, they
find us again. It’s time to send those
fat cells packing, yet again.
2019 will be the next municipal election for Presidente. We are looking forward to the chaos and the parades.
Hasta Luego
Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Thomas
Or
2 comments:
Who won? PRI or PAN?
Both! PRI Juan Carillo is our municipal Presidente
PAN candidate won the state governor's seat.
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