"We Will Enter a New Era"

By John Moody, Andrea Dabrowski, Rodman Griffin and Carlos Salinas de Gortari

In an interview late last week with TIME Correspondent John Moody and Reporters Andrea Dabrowski and Rodman Griffin, Carlos Salinas de Gortari left no doubt that the final figures would cement his claim to the presidency. Excerpts:

On the P.R.I.'s premature claims to victory. The different parties agreed that we could not provide figures until the ((Federal Electoral)) Commission provided them. Nevertheless, ((the P.R.I.)) had a very sophisticated system of information connected to all districts. I wouldn't have claimed victory without ((that)) information.

On the failure of the computerized tabulating system. It's more than a computer problem, because ((the P.R.I.)) had a computer system, and it worked very well. There were more than 54,000 casillas (voting booths), some of them in rural areas. Also, because of the tremendous flood of voters, some casillas did not close at 6 p.m. but stayed open ((legally)) in order to allow those in line to vote.

On the end of the one-party system. ((In the past)) the P.R.I. won presidential elections with two-thirds or four-fifths of the vote, all seats in the Chamber of Deputies, all seats in the Senate. Today we will enter a new era. ((We)) will have to reform our procedures of campaigning and organization, because we will face stiffer opposition. We'll have to live with a pluralistic Chamber of Deputies and Senate.

On reforming the P.R.I. The party is working hard to make the transformation that Mexican reality demands. The party's own transformation will take place at the proper time, by the members of the party, to strengthen the party.

On the priorities of the Salinas administration. First, to participate in the enormous transformation that is going on in the world. There's a realignment of financial, commercial, economic and political relationships. Second, to recognize, then promote advances in our democratic life. Third, a war on poverty in Mexico. The fourth is a new development strategy that calls for recovering growth.