BajaNomad

From Mexico City-scary

bajajudy - 7-30-2006 at 04:12 PM

MEXICO CITY - Leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called Sunday for hundreds of thousands of his supporters to erect permanent protest camps to cripple Mexico's capital until a disputed presidential election is decided.
Addressing about a half-million marchers filling the city's historic central plaza and spilling down fashionable Reforma boulevard, Lopez Obrador said, "I propose we stay here permanently until the court resolves this ... That we stay here day and night."

If Lopez Obrador supporters heed his call, blockades could have a catastrophic effect on already chaotic city traffic, hurting downtown commerce.

The leftist asked his followers not to "invade public spaces" and demonstrators said they wouldn't block streets, but Lopez Obrador also apologized in advance for "any inconvenience our movement might cause."

"We will take drastic measures. We will blockade airports, we will take over embassies," marcher Sara Zepeda, 32, said as she pushed her 2-month-old son in a baby carriage.

The former Mexico City mayor finished slightly behind his conservative opponent, ex-Energy Secretary Felipe Calderon, in the July 2 election, and says a vote-by-vote recount will expose fraud that titled the election.

An official count gave Calderon less than 0.6 percent over Lopez Obrador, about 240,000 votes out of some 41 million cast. The Federal Electoral Tribunal has until Sept. 6 to either declare a winner or annul the election.

Calderon remains confident he was the election's rightful winner and said he won't be intimidated by street protests.

The conservative candidate and his party's legal team on Sunday presented their arguments to the seven-judge electoral tribunal, saying he had won the vote cleanly. They also argued in favor of annulling votes in districts that went heavily for Lopez Obrador.

"At the end of the day, we won the presidential election. Period," Calderon said.

Backers of Lopez Obrador had said they hoped the rally would draw more than a million people and on Sunday gave a crowd estimate of 2 million. But the crowd appeared to number far less than that.

It was the third and biggest rally convened by Lopez Obrador since the vote.

Bearing banners that read "No to Fraud" and carrying dolls, placards and T-shirts emblazoned with the image of their candidate, protesters ranging from students to grandmothers marched to the sound of drums and chants.

"We'll march again and again and again, as many times as it takes, until Lopez Obrador sits in the president's seat," said Maria Dolores Honorato, 74, who traveled from her home town of Maravatio, Michoacan.

On Saturday, three of Lopez Obrador's lawyers asked the electoral court to declare their candidate president-elect, arguing that there were mathematical errors, falsifications or other problems at 72,000 of the country's 130,000 polling places. The closed-door session was the court's first hearing since the disputed vote.

President Vicente Fox of Calderon's National Action Party leaves office Dec. 1. Mexico's constitution limits presidents to a single six-year term.

Bruce R Leech - 7-30-2006 at 04:17 PM

Oh god here we go

woody with a view - 7-30-2006 at 05:02 PM

so, when the court decides calderon won after all, is anyone gonna believe it? too bad a country has to be split down the middle like that, but it's good to see that mexico follows the lead of the u.s. now and then:lol:

[Edited on 7-31-2006 by woody in ob]

[Edited on 7-31-2006 by woody in ob]

Paula - 7-30-2006 at 06:23 PM

I remain unconvinced that George Bush was actually elected in 2000 or 2004. I really am not a conspiracy-minded person, and never before felt this way about any US national, state or local election, whether my candidate won or lost. I hope we have learned the importance of clean, verifiable elections, as this has caused grave harm to our country in uncountable ways.

I hope that whatever the outcome of the Mexican election, the people come out feeling that their president was legitamately elected. I too think that Obrador probably would take an honest recount. Sadly, I also think that less than half of the Mexican populace will feel confidence in the results in any event.

Taco de Baja - 7-31-2006 at 07:32 AM

Quote:
"We'll march again and again and again, as many times as it takes, until Lopez Obrador sits in the president's seat," said Maria Dolores Honorato, 74, who traveled from her home town of Maravatio, Michoacan.

Does she even understand the term "ELECTION"?
Quote:
On Saturday, three of Lopez Obrador's lawyers asked the electoral court to declare their candidate president-elect, arguing that there were mathematical errors, falsifications or other problems at 72,000 of the country's 130,000 polling places. The closed-door session was the court's first hearing since the disputed vote.

So if there were mathematical errors, falsifications, and "other problems", what will a recount prove? If the data is bad, it's bad in the first count and the recount......
And who?s to say the mathematical errors, falsifications, and "other problems" did not favor Obrador?

The Gull - 7-31-2006 at 08:26 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Paula
I remain unconvinced that George Bush was actually elected in 2000 or 2004. I really am not a conspiracy-minded person, and never before felt this way about any US national, state or local election, whether my candidate won or lost. I hope we have learned the importance of clean, verifiable elections, as this has caused grave harm to our country in uncountable ways.

I hope that whatever the outcome of the Mexican election, the people come out feeling that their president was legitamately elected. I too think that Obrador probably would take an honest recount. Sadly, I also think that less than half of the Mexican populace will feel confidence in the results in any event.



I agree with you - Gore and Kerry beat GWB in Mexico

Paula - 7-31-2006 at 08:35 AM

"I agree with you - Gore and Kerry beat GWB in Mexico"
The Gull



:lol::lol::lol: Actually, at least in Baja, I think that Bush beat Gore and Kerry...

Al G - 7-31-2006 at 09:45 AM

Does anyone know the last time(if ever) Mexico had a recount? Never would explain the strong Paso.

bajajudy - 7-31-2006 at 02:01 PM

I doubt if there have been any recounts in this century. Remember PRI was in charge for over 70 years before Fox and they didnt need recounts because they always won:no:

bajalou - 7-31-2006 at 02:06 PM

It hasn't been a hundred years since the last revolution.

bajajudy - 7-31-2006 at 02:09 PM

Did they let the people vote before that?

comitan - 7-31-2006 at 02:48 PM

Larry

Its because the dollar is weak now due to low GDP which was low due to low home sales mostly.

[Edited on 7-31-2006 by comitan]

JESSE - 7-31-2006 at 04:27 PM

There was no fraud
There wont be a recount
Obrador will play tough for a while
Obrador has a couple million hard core supporters IN Mexico city only.
Normality will come back in a few months
Its a good time to invest in Mexico

[Edited on 7-31-2006 by JESSE]

thebajarunner - 7-31-2006 at 04:48 PM

Jesse hit the nail on the head!
There will be no recount.
And no, there have been no previous recounts, no precedent nor procedure to accomplish that.

and, to those who say GWB did not win...... hey, Elvis lives and James Dean still races Porsches!!!

toneart - 8-6-2006 at 08:08 PM

Florida and Ohio set a real example for the exporters of democracy!