Election in Mexico

Election in Mexico

1. Choose the best answer (a, b or c) to complete each of the following statements.
(1) Today was a day _________ in Mexico.

a. waiting for voters to be present at the poll b. of waiting by voters to learn the result of the election c. waiting for the government to announce the result
(2) Since its founding in 1929, the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party ___________. a. has never failed in the elections b. has once failed in the elections c. has only lost votes in one city in the elections
(3) Critics of the system in Mexico say it is not democratic because ____________. a. other parties are not allowed to take turns in ruling the country b. not all the political parties are given a chance to take part in the general election c. the opposition parties were not given a chance to take power
(4) Today the Mexican Congress began work on a package of reforms ____________. a. that would increase pressure upon the government b. that would allow the opposition parties to grow stronger c. that could give opposition parties a greater voice in politics in Mexico

2. True or False Questions.
(1)
A week ago Saturday, a new governor was elected in the Mexican state of Sinaloa.
(2)
The National Action Party was said to win the election according to the government.
(3)
The election was won by a three-to-one margin.
(4)
Government officials admit they have done something to the election in order to guarantee the victory.
(5)
Mexico President Miguel de la Madrid promised to propose sweeping changes in election system last summer.
(6)
Some of the President's proposals had also long been demanded by the opposition parties.

3. Fill in the blanks with detailed information about the government.
(1) The government was said to have
    a.
to guarantee that the PRI always win;
    b.
PRI campaigns;
    c. forced their
to
PRI candidates as the price of keeping their jobs.
(2) The opposition leaders say that, to ensure a PRI victory, the government will
    a.
boxes;
    b.
registrations;
    c.
tally.

4. Identification. Match the proposal in Column I with its result in Column II.
Column I
(1) the establishment of a new federal elections commission
(2) the preparation of a permanent list of voters
(3) the introduction of the translucent ballot boxes

Column II
a. official poll watchers can verify that no one has stuffed the boxes beforehand
b. judge the fairness of the elections
c. with the assistance of all political parties

Answer: (1) —
; (2) —
; (3) —
.

5. Fill in the blanks with the information you hear on the tape.
    The reforms would also give
more
in the national Congress.
out of
congressional seats will be awarded to opposition parties
the number of votes they receive. It's the most
political reform in recent Mexican
but opposition leaders here are still not
. Sisirial Romaro, a
woman from the National Action Party, says
is possible in Mexico until the
between the government and its
the PRI is
.

6. Fill in the blanks.
(1) The opposition leaders' proposal in answer to the president's reform package:
    All the seats in the
should
in proportion to
.
(2) The opposition parties' demand on the elections:
    They want the election to
by
completely independent of
.
(3) The reason the opposition's proposals has no chance of being approved:
    Because the PRI
the national Congress and
everything the government proposes.