With six months to go to the elections, political parties in Mexico are ready to start their campaign. The PRI is still on the forefront, but is their victory inevitable? In the next few days Voic of Mexico will look into the chances of the three main contenders. We start of with the PRD and their candidate Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Early last year I had a long interview with Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, the outgoing governmental leader of the Federal District, more colloquially known as the mayor of Mexico City (though technically there is no such position anymore). Inevitably we landed on the political future of the nation’s capital. When asked if he has any fears of the PRD losing its long time bastion of power to the PRI or PAN, mr. Ebrard answered decisively: “No. The Federal District is perredista and will remain so.”

So what's the deal with Enrique Peña Nieto? The outgoing governor of Estado de México, member of the Atlacomulco Group within the PRI, has been ahead of the presidential polls for the better part of his term as governor. He will leave office soon will announce his candidacy for the 2012 elections soon. And he'll most likely win. Every poll gives him a two figure lead over all other presidential hopefuls.

The left wing Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) has finally decided on how to elect its presidential candidate for 2012. An ‘open poll’ will be held amongst Mexican citizens sometime this year, as was decided on the XIII Extraordinary National Congress, held this weekend at the World Trade Center in Mexico City.

As political parties in Mexico are preparing themselves for the 2012 elections, the Mexican left is bracing itself for a titanic clash between Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon. The outcome may decide the future of the left in Mexico.