Mexican president calls for support

Some of President Fox's supporters want more action

Delivering his first state of the nation address, Mexican President Vicente Fox has called on opposition parties in Congress to join him in pushing through reforms.

It is time for social justice to occupy the place it deserves in the national agenda

President Vicente Fox

He rejected criticism that he was bringing in change too slowly, stressing that he was trying to build a new nation.

Mr Fox, who has been in power for nine months, needs support from the opposition Institutional Revolutionary party (Pri) if his tax reform bill and plans to privatise parts of the energy sector are to succeed.

Police clashed with demonstrators outside the Congress building

In an hour-long speech, the president said he intended to honour his elections promises to modernise Mexico and root out corruption.

"It is time for social justice to occupy the place it deserves in the national agenda. It is time to reincorporate those who were left by the wayside," President Fox said.

Protests

He also said that Mexico had "been able to cushion the negative impacts" of the US economic slowdown.

Before the speech, peasant farmers and trade unionists gathered outside the Congress building to protest at what they see as President Fox's inability to protect the poorest sectors of Mexican society.

The indigenous problem has yet to be resolved

Inside the chamber, Mr Fox was heckled and booed by opposition politicians.

President Fox is head of the National Action party (Pan).

His victory in last year's elections meant that the Pri was voted out of power for the first time in more than 70 years.

Many observers saw this as heralding a period of decisive change in Mexico, as the right-wing Pan brought in reforms and modernised both state institutions and the economy.

But President Fox has found it difficult to bring in reforms, as the Pri is still the largest single party in Congress, and still governs in many of Mexico's 32 states.