Ernesto Zedillo Elected President

Ernesto Zedillo won the first widely monitored presidential election with 50.2%, the lowest PRI total in history at that point. International observers certified the election as competitive, though not fully free and fair. PAN's Diego Fernández de Cevallos and PRD's Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas competed seriously. IFE credentialized voters for the first time with photo ID cards. The election was a step toward competitive democracy.