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Enrique Pena Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) speaks during a press conference on July 2, 2012 in Mexico City, Mexico. Nieto has declared victory in the presidential election, but it looks unlikely he will have a majority in either house of Congress. (Daniel Aguilar/Getty Images)
The formerly dominant political party in Mexico returned to power with the election of Enrique Pena Nieto as the next president.
Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) got 38 percent of the vote while his rival, Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, got close to 32 percent according to preliminary results reported by El Universal.
Nieto has declared victory in Sunday’s election; Obrador has not yet admitted defeat.
One of the main issues facing many Mexicans is the surge in drug related violence and killings over the past six years since President Felipe Calderon directed the army against the cartels.
“Let it be clear. There will be no pact or truce with organized crime,” Nieto said, according to the EFE news agency.
The El Salvador government has been experimenting over the last several months with a truce between with two of the major drug cartels. So far it has resulted in less killings but more kidnappings, according to recent reports.
More than 50,000 people have been killed drug-related violence since 2006.
Nieto said that Mexico will have “a modern presidency, responsible, open to criticism, and willing to listen and take everyone into account.”
“The country wants work, cooperation, and above all and most importantly, results,” he added, saying that he will not return Mexico to the past. The PRI ruled Mexico from 1929 to 2000 and has a controversial past, with alleged ties to drug cartels.
U.S. President Barack Obama called Nieto on Monday, congratulating him on his victory, according to a statement from the White House.
“The two leaders reaffirmed the close bilateral partnership the United States and Mexico enjoy based on mutual respect, shared responsibility, and the deep connections between our people,” the statement reads.
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