Santiago Creel is respected as a negotiator
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Mexico's interior minister has said he is stepping down to begin campaigning to win his party's nomination for next year's presidential election.
Santiago Creel, 50, is a close ally of President Vicente Fox and a member of his governing National Action Party.
Mr Fox came to power after the 2000 election, ending more than seven decades of one-party rule.
Mr Creel is seen as a strong contender to win his party's nomination when the selection process begins in September.
But according to opinion polls the favourite to win the presidential election next July is the left-wing mayor of Mexico City, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Under Mexican law, Mr Fox is barred from standing again.
Correspondents say Mr Creel, a political centrist known for his negotiation skills, had long been rumoured to have presidential ambitions.
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