Mexico presidential candidates face off in televised debate But the second-place PAN candidate - Josefina Vazquez Mota who hopes to be Mexico's first female president - accused the centrist PRI of blocking "fundamental" structural reforms in Congress and attacked Pena Nieto's record in the populous central State of Mexico, of which he was previously governor. On the hot-button issue of security, amid a drug war under current President Felipe Calderon blamed for more than 50,000 deaths, Vazquez Mota, like the others, promised to boost police efforts. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a veteran politician of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) in third place, went on the attack against both the PRI and the PAN, slamming a wealthy elite which he said controlled both parties. The debate, despite criticism of its rigid structure of pre-prepared questions and short answers, gave a boost to a so far sluggish campaign. Another presidential debate is scheduled for June 10.