Ebrard Threatens to Quit Mexico’s Morena, Saying Primary Was Stacked Against Him

(Bloomberg) -- One of the most prominent figures in Mexico’s ruling party threatened to quit over allegations that its process of choosing a presidential candidate had been stacked against him.

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Former Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard finished second in the Morena party selection process ahead of the 2024 election. He said the selection had been designed to work in favor of his rival, Claudia Sheinbaum, with both party functionaries and government officials giving voters incentives to pick her.

Ebrard vowed to leave Morena this month if the party doesn’t address his complaints. That could potentially take votes from Morena if he were to run on another party’s ticket next June.

“If these circumstances and incidents do not change, I won’t have an interest in being part of Morena,” he said in a speech in Mexico City on Monday, vowing to continue touring the country after Sept. 18.

Polls suggest Morena is likely to hold onto the presidency due to the popularity of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who is not eligible to run.

Read More: Mexico Poised to Elect 1st Female Leader After AMLO Party Pick

Most opposition parties have banded together to select a joint candidate, Senator Xochitl Galvez, though other individuals are eligible to run either as independents or for another party. Movimiento Ciudadano, a small opposition party, has not yet announced whether it will join the coalition or put forward a contender of its own.

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