▁G ort ari , ▁as ▁the ▁P RI ▁candidate ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁elections . ▁A ▁group ▁of ▁left - wing ▁P RI ▁polit icians , ▁led ▁by ▁Cu au ht ém oc ▁C ár den as ▁( the ▁son ▁of ▁former ▁President ▁L áz aro ▁C ár den as ) ▁and ▁P orf i rio ▁Mu ñ oz ▁L edo , ▁protest ed ▁Sal inas ' ▁appointment ▁as ▁they ▁demanded ▁that ▁the ▁P RI ▁should ▁put ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁the ▁President ▁choosing ▁his ▁own ▁successor , ▁and ▁proposed ▁that ▁the ▁P RI ▁President ial ▁candidate ▁should ▁be ▁dem ocrat ically ▁chosen ▁by ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁P RI ▁members ▁through ▁a ▁convention . ▁They ▁also ▁claimed ▁that ▁President ▁De ▁la ▁Madrid ▁had ▁gone ▁too ▁far ▁with ▁his ▁a uster ity ▁and ▁free - market ▁re forms , ▁and ▁that ▁his ▁prote g ée ▁Sal inas ▁represented ▁a ▁continu ation ▁of ▁such ▁policies . ▁After ▁many ▁public ▁discuss ions ▁and ▁propos als , ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁P RI ▁stood ▁by ▁President ▁De ▁la ▁Madrid ▁and ▁confirmed ▁Sal inas ▁as ▁the ▁party ' s ▁president ial ▁candidate , ▁while ▁exp elling ▁C ár den as ▁and ▁Mu ñ oz ▁L edo ▁from ▁the ▁P RI , ▁along ▁with ▁their ▁follow ers . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁the ▁P RI ▁took ▁power ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 , ▁the ▁elections ▁featured ▁two ▁strong ▁opposition ▁candidates ▁with ▁enough ▁popular ity ▁to ▁beat ▁the ▁P RI ▁candidate .