Dispute engulfs Mexican ruling party over presidential nomination

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The Mexican ruling party’s plans to name on Wednesday its candidate for next year’s presidential election were roiled by controversy when one of the leading contenders denounced the process and threatened to boycott the announcement.

Polls suggest former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum is favorite to claim the nomination of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), but her closest rival, former foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard, said hours before the announcement the process had been tainted by irregularities and should be redone.

Ebrard has for weeks raised concerns about problems his campaign identified in the national polling process to choose a MORENA candidate, and in recent days stepped up his warnings.

“At this point we can conclude that if the procedure is not redone, if the poll isn’t done properly, we’re not meeting the objectives set out,” he told supporters at a hastily convened press conference in Mexico City.

Supporters began chanting “fraud, fraud, fraud!” and Ebrard indicated that if the concerns were not addressed, he would not attend the MORENA event to unveil its presidential candidate, which is due to take place at around 5 p.m. (2300 GMT).

The selection of the 61-year-old Sheinbaum, a staunch ally of leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, would likely set the scene for Mexico to choose its first woman president.

Two polls on Tuesday gave her a clear lead over Ebrard.

The main opposition alliance last week selected as its presidential candidate Xochitl Galvez, a charismatic and unconventional senator of Indigenous origin who overcame an impoverished background to become a successful entrepreneur.

(Reporting by Dave Graham and Adriana Barrera; editing by Timothy Gardner and Cassandra Garrison)