Judges rule on Mexico's bitter presidential vote

[gorbal]

By Kieran Murray

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's electoral court rejected some of the left-wing candidate's legal challenges to last month's disputed presidential vote on Monday as it began a long session to rule on his allegations of massive fraud.

The court's seven judges were widely expected to reject most of the fraud claims and confirm the victory of conservative ruling party candidate Felipe Calderon.

In a long statement read out by a court official, the judges quickly dismissed some of the 240 separate complaints lodged by leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

But they did not immediately say whether Calderon's razor-thin victory in the July 2 vote would stand, and it was still possible that they would accept some of Lopez Obrador's allegations.

The court session, broadcast live on television, could last for several hours.

Lopez Obrador says there were serious irregularities at more than half the polling stations. He has demanded a full recount of all 41 million votes cast and has launched street protests that have shut down central Mexico City.

(snip)

More here-

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-08-28T144205Z_01_N28358335_RTRUKOC_0_US-MEXICO-ELECTION.xml&archived=False

[flordehinojos]

1. sotlen elections - copycat judges?

[gorbal]

5. I wonder what is correct, this take on it or the earlier version of Narco

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/28/ap/world/mainD8JPIAJO2.shtml

and here is the Narco news take on the recount-

http://www.narconews.com/Issue42/article2010.html

which is truth?

[slackmaster]

9. They obviously can't both be right

But they can both be wrong.

[flordehinojos]

14. i lived in florida through the 2000 election from hell. i still do.

i remember going to the precinct and noticing that there was something unusual that day. the precinct was full of people from i don't know where who had come in to vote. for the first time ever that i recall, they wanted to check your driver's license before they let you in to vote. my name was not even on the register this time--and it had been there consistently for the previous elections in which i had all voted... the lady at the table who was to give me the ballot knew me from those times. she asked if i knew why my name wasn't on the books. i said, "no". she looked in the back of the book and found my name with an "o" next to it. she asked me if i knew what the "o" meant and i said, "no." she gave me the ballot--and after i voted there was something that caused me to question my vote. someone took that ballot and gave me another one. i voted again, and again i questioned something in the ballot and i wanted to look it over. some pollworker took the ballot out of my hands, said, "no you can't" and dropped the ballot wherever it is that they were collecting ballots.

it was so strange .... i did not know that the bushes were setting it all up to steal our elections. i still have a bad taste in my mouth from that day. so, to answer your question about which of these two stores on the mexican elections is the correct story... i have to say that i believe the one in which they report the most amazing and almost unbelievable irregularities. they happened here. they happened in ohio, and they are set to happen again.

[gorbal]

16. My experience was odd as well

A couple in front of me were told they couldn't vote, and weren't even offered a provisional ballot. The lady who denied them just happend to be my landlord...a Republican.

They left before I said anything...I wish I hadn't stalled.

[Vidar]

2. Hoping the best for Obrador & Mexico, but fearing the worst.

[MrPrax]

3. Shut it down...

The people of Mexico should have no motivational problems given the damage wrought the last time Mexico's elite stole an election and carried out without consultations a set of devastating economic reforms that destroyed Mexico's underclass...

They got no choice and Orbrador should simply declare himself the winner after these judges go through the motions...you are either in favor of democracy or stability. At times like this, you can't have both.

[gorbal]

12. Okay, you got me, how much for the kitty

You tease and tease us with your cute little kitty.

[gorbal]

4. Here is another Reuters update that gives little info-

http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2006-08-28T162040Z_01_N28341511_RTRIDST_0_MEXICO-ELECTION-JUDGES-URGENT.XML

Does anyone have access to Mexican TV? If anyone speaks good spanish could they look for a station on-line that might have up-to date info?

Edit-Here are a few other articles-

http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_2878.shtml

http://times-news.com/feeds/apcontent/apstories/apstorysection/D8JPF6M80.xml.txt/resources_apstoryview

and google translations from more frequently updated "El univesal"

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eluniversal.com.mx%2Fnoticias.html&langpair=es%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

[donkeyotay]

6. Thanks, I guess we'll know today how the judges rule, but sounds like

it will get interesting south of the border. No wonder corporate tee vee doesn't want the US seeing this. It might disturb our slumber.

If Calderon's victory is confirmed by the court, Lopez Obrador says he will either lead a civil resistance movement against his rival or set up some kind of parallel government.

"We are going to create our own institutions," he said on Sunday. "Sovereignty lives in the people, the people rule."

[pberq]

7. A true leader!!

Obrador is the greatest. No wimpy giving in to stolen elections, like happened in the US in 2000 and 2004.

[donkeyotay]

8. Without a doubt, the man's got real courage. nt

[gorbal]

11. A parallel government might be even better than winning.

If they were to set up a parallel government like the Zapatista's did in Chiapas and other areas, they could set an example for us in the United States. Perhaps aspects of that "parallel government" might even spill over into our country.

[Joanne98]

26. You're right. The RW fascists will get Hell either way.

[gorbal]

28. That would feed the "La Recoquista" nonsense anyway.

I would be harder to stop if the Zapatista way of self-governance stretched further into the US. I remember living in Los Angeles, the Mexican American community takes care of it's own in a way the western monoculture has forgotten to.

[Eugene]

10. Reuters: Calderon near win as Mexican court backs vote

Calderon near win as Mexican court backs vote

By Chris Aspin and Kieran Murray

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's top electoral court threw out leftists' allegations
of massive fraud in last month's presidential election on Monday, almost certainly
handing victory to conservative candidate Felipe Calderon.

The seven judges voted unanimously to reject most of the legal complaints by left-wing
candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who said he was robbed of victory in the July 2
vote.

The judges, whose rulings are final and cannot be appealed, must declare a president-elect
by September 6.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=1272042006

[gorbal]

13. Here is even another bunch of numbers for you

What to believe-

2:01 p.m. August 28, 2006

MEXICO CITY – A partial recount in Mexico's disputed presidential race won't erase the lead of ruling party candidate Felipe Calderon, the country's top electoral court said Monday, but the judges held off from declaring him the winner.

The court announced the number of votes it had annulled as the result of 375 challenges in the July 2 election, reducing Calderon's 240,000-vote lead by just over 4,000 votes.

(snip)

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20060828-1401-mexico-elections.html

[slackmaster]

30. Figures I found most interesting when I read that one this morning

...The court annulled more than 230,000 votes, with the ruling National Action Party losing 81,080 votes, the largest loss of any party.

Lopez Obrador's coalition lost 76,897 votes, and the rest of the annulled votes were divided among smaller parties....

If this is true, does this mean that the court found evidence of fraudulent votes cast for AMLO? Frankly that would not surprise me given the sordid history of Mexican politics; the fraudulent votes being roughly equally divided in proportion to the legitimate ones.

Of course the people who are sure that the AMLO camp couldn't or wouldn't have engaged in any trickery will now expand the conspiracy to include those seven judges. And maybe they'll be right, I really don't know.

[gorbal]

33. Votes that were tossed were ones in which voters seemed "undecided"

Who knows what they mean by that. Either way, if that many votes were affected in such a small sample than I would have doubts about the entire election. I mean, the fact that the major irregularities occured where there was nobody but a PAN observer present should be enough to draw suspicion.

[slackmaster]

35. Yeah, it's all pretty murky

Maybe the court will invalidate the whole election. IMO that would be the safest thing to do and best for all parties.

[hogwyld]

15. It's time for the oppressed to shut it all down

If they go on a comlete general strike, that will force the entire economy to collapse, and take the "elite" bastards with them. In politics as in life, sometimes you just have to hit the big reset button and start again.

[Judi Lynn]

17. Uh, oh, DU'ers: This is the first I've heard of this news......

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.
(snip/...)

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/photo/2006/08/29/2005058153

[Judi Lynn]

20. Here's the right link for the story above:sorry for the mix-up:

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2006/08/29/2003325356

[slackmaster]

32. The headline (same as subject in reply #22) is completely wrong

The recount, of about 9% of precincts, has already been completed.

[lovuian]

18. The Courts are just like the Supreme court ...Corrupt

this is what causes the people to take the law in their own hands when it doesn't represent the people but the Rich...

Obrador isn't going to stop !!!

[fasttense]

19. You hit on something there

When the rule of law breaks down, the people take the law into their own hands.

[Pithlet]

21. kick

[Judi Lynn]

22. Mexico starts marathon vote recount

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

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.
(snip/...)

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2006/08/29/2003325356

(Edited to add correct link)

[dipsydoodle]

23. I'm rapidly losing the plot here

See DeepModem Mom post : http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2480888&mesg_id=2480888

and Mom's link : http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/28/world/americas/28cnd-mexico.html?_r=1&hp&ex=1156824000&en=febdbcc5e379a14f&ei=5094&partner=homepage&oref=slogin

I gathered the impression that the court had reached an adverse decision yesterday.

[bahrbearian]

24. Some how that dosn't sound like a recount ...

[Vidar]

25. Certainly doesn't.

[slackmaster]

31. The recount has already been completed

There won't be any more recounting.

[Judi Lynn]

27. News not noted here earlier: Mexico: Recount protests infiltrated

Mexico: Recount protests infiltrated
Mon14Aug2006

Among the many pro-recount protests that have been taking place in Mexico City -- organized by supporters of leftist presidential candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador -- is a controversial plantón (sit-in) that took place in the Xochimilco area of the city last week. Controversial because, according to a group of students from Mexico's National University and other entities, the act of civil disobedience was infiltrated by a group of "porros" -- individuals from the opposing camp (usually the government) who, when planted on university campuses, act as moles in an attempt to disrupt the protest and cause trouble.

According to Mexican daily La Jornada, in a letter to AMLO's coalition, witnesses charge:

...there are porros at the camp site in Xochimilco, and that they "are taking advantage of the people's goodwill and the lack of knowledge of internal working of the university, having infiltrated the peaceful civil disobedience movement." They stated that these groups have commited acts of "hostility and provocation" against the university students who are participating in the movement. They also state that on August 9th, when some entrances to bank offices were blocked, "members of OEU -- an organization tied to the University Student Federation -- among them porro group leaders, threatened students and photographed them as a means of intimidation.
(snip)

The students are asking that AMLO's coalition do what it can to remove this porro group from Xochimilco, while in other parts of Mexico City porros are popping up at several protest sites. According to Milenio, there is a huge presence of porros on the UNAM campus itself, as well as in some high schools and middle schools.

Porrismo on Mexican campuses is nothing new. It's common knowledge that porros played a huge role in the 1968 student movement (and later massacre), but according to one 1968 activist, porrismo dates back to 1956:
(snip/...)

http://vivirlatino.com/2006/08/14/mexico-recount-protests-infiltrated.php

[cascadiance]

29. Mexican Independence day is coming up on September 16th...

... just a few weeks from now. I wonder if that's the time things get really ugly if there is no movement towards resolving this impasse by then.

[gorbal]

34. I know, it seems they have taken all means to peacefull recourse

All except one, and I am glad that AMLO will keep people working towards creating a government no matter what. If he can channel peoples energy into subversion and creation rather than violence we could see some great things happen.:)