Mexico City, June 8 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto's ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and its political allies are close to winning a small working-majority in the lower house of Congress, although it is still at risk of falling short, the National Electoral Institute (INE) announced late Sunday.

The preliminary estimate of the seat distribution in the 500-member lower house gave the PRI and its allies between 246 and 263 places, INE president Lorenzo Cordova said. The PRI and its allies the (PVEM) or Green Party and the New Alliance Party (PANAL) currently hold 251 seats, while they are a few seats short of a majority in the Senate.

The Sunday elections were marked by discontent about corruption, as the president and various of his top ministers were involved in the acquisition of properties in dubious circumstances. There was also public outrage due to gang violence and sluggish economic growth.

Mexicans voted on Sunday for nine state governorships and more than 1,000 state and municipal posts. According to an exit poll from Parametria polling company, Peña Nieto’s Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) garnered only 33 percent of the vote, while the National Action Party (PAN) attained 25 percent. The PRD or Democratic Revolution Party got 12 percent and the new MORENA or National Regeneration Movement of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador appeared to surface as the fourth political force with 8 percent.

Immediately after the elections, Peña Nieto briefly addressed the nation saying that democracy was advancing and also announced that the education reform, which had been suspended due to widespread protests leading up to Sunday, would again be pushed forward.