Social Democratic Party (Mexico)


The Social Democratic Party was a short-lived Mexican political party.

History

The party's first name was Social Democratic and Peasant Alternative Party but in May 2007, it changed its name to Social Democratic Alternative Party, and in 2008, it changed once again to simply Social Democratic Party.
The party started as an alliance between two political leaders: Ignacio Irys and Patricia Mercado. However, most of its members come from four extinct parties: the Social Democracy Party, led by Gilberto Rincón Gallardo, México Posible, led by Patricia Mercado, Fuerza Ciudadana and the Partido Campesino y Popular.
According to the documents submitted to the Federal Electoral Institute, the party had 214,314 members as of July 14, 2005, and it defined itself as a New Left party. Though no longer eligible for elections, the PSD remains as a political view, and party president is Alberto Begné Guerra and its current vice president is Ignacio Irys Salomon.
Former México Posible leader and feminist activist Patricia Mercado was one of the party founders. She was also the party's presidential candidate in the 2006 elections. In the 2006 legislative elections the party won 4 out of 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and no Senators.
The PSD opposed the public influence of the Roman Catholic Church and has challenged the moral and teaching authority of Archbishop of Mexico Cardinal Norberto Rivera. It also pleaded in favor of equal marriage, euthanasia, the decriminalization of abortion and the legalization of some drugs.
The party came to an end after the results of the 2009 Mexican congressional elections, not reaching the 2.0% required to be eligible for the 2012 elections. Some of its principal members joined to the Citizens' Movement Party