HIGHLIGHTS: Mexico's reform prospects post-election

(Reuters) - A mid-term congressional election defeat for Mexico's ruling conservatives has left President Felipe Calderon's economic reform plans in the hands of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI.

Following are comments from politicians and analysts on Monday about the prospects for Calderon's reform agenda:

PRI LEADER BEATRIZ PAREDES:

"There is a very clear mandate to find solutions to the economic crisis. The people need job opportunities, the people need to find new ways to face their needs."

She said the PRI would have "a very clear agenda of the need for solutions and deep changes in economic matters."

CESAR NAVA, ELECTED DEPUTY IN NEW CONGRESS FROM CALDERON'S

PAN PARTY:

"We are taking the PRI at its word when it talked about building accords. We are confident that we can do it. We have a window of opportunity to do the necessary reforms.

"The time is now. We need to leave behind the effects of the crisis, gain competitiveness and attract investment.

"And for that, we require an enormous effort."

ROY CAMPOS, CONSULTA MITOFSKY POLLING FIRM:

"The PRI is going to control the legislative agenda."

DAMIAN FRASER, HEAD OF LATIN AMERICAN RESEARCH AT UBS

"The PRI is clearly a front-runner to win in 2012, so they have an incentive to make sure the economy is in good shape.

"(But) the big uncertainty over what the PRI is going to do remains an uncertainty and I don't think will be clarified over the next few weeks -- I don't think it will be clarified until the day of the vote on any specific legislation."

SHELLY SHETTY, SENIOR COUNTRY ANALYST, FITCH: