Reply #17: Uh, oh, DU'ers: This is the first I've heard of this news...... [View All]

[Judi Lynn]

Mexico starts marathon vote recount

POLITICAL HAVOC: Lopez Obrador promised long-term national protests even if the court rules against him, while Chiapas and Oaxaca continued to be wracked by turmoil

AP , MEXICO CITY
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006,Page 6



Mexican presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is greeted by
supporters at the main Zocalo plaza in Mexico City on Sunday. Supporters
of Lopez Obrador are demanding a vote-by-vote recount of the July 2 elections.
PHOTO: AP

Mexico's top electoral court announced a marathon session starting yesterday to rule on challenges to the July 2 presidential election, but feuds in two southern states exacerbated the country's political turmoil and protesters said they might try to seize foreign embassies.

The Federal Electoral Tribunal said it would rule on all 375 challenges to official results, which showed ruling party candidate Felipe Calderon with a 240,000-vote advantage over leftist former Mexico City mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

By law, the court is supposed to resolve all complaints by Thursday; it can throw out results from some polling places or even the whole election. It then has until Sept. 6 to calculate the adjusted results and certify a winner.

Lopez Obrador has led massive street protests and blockades alleging that his loss, by less than 0.6 percent, was due to fraud and promises long-term national protests even if the court rules against him.
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http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/photo/2006/08/29/2005058153