MEXICO: Supporters of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador continue to occupy the streets of Mexico City as controversy over election results continue

Mexico's leftist opposition leader came under fire on Wednesday (August 02) for crippling Mexico City with protests against alleged fraud in a tight presidential election, but his supporters vowed to fight on. Thousands of leftists seized the capital's Zocalo square, one of the biggest in the world, and the main boulevard running through the city, causing three straight days of chaos. "There are millions of us that are in favour of the recount, vote by vote, and this situation that Vicente Fox has taken the country into we are not going to allow if there is not transparency," said Lopez Obrador supporter Claudia Rios. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is heading the protests to pressure Mexico's electoral court to order a full recount of votes in the July 2 presidential election that he narrowly lost to the conservative ruling party's candidate, Felipe Calderon. While the protests have been effective, analysts say the tactic could backfire by angering residents and alienating some of Lopez Obrador's former supporters. "It is very clear to me the freedom to express oneself but it cannot cancel out the rights of others. It cannot cancel the rights of those trying to get to their jobs, to their schools or homes," said Calderon at a news conference on Wednesday. The government of President Vicente Fox increased the pressure on Lopez Obrador and his supporters on Wednesday by saying the protests were hurting the city's economy, putting jobs at risk and violating residents' rights of free movement. Lopez Obrador has apologized for the disruption caused by shutting down the elegant Reforma boulevard, but insists it is a small price to pay. Advisers to the leftist said they could allow parts or all of Reforma to reopen to traffic, even as they move their campaign of civil resistance to other parts of the capital. Lopez Obrador has a loyal following in Mexico City, where he was mayor, and among Mexico's poor as he has promised ambitious welfare programs and infrastructure spending to narrow the wide gap between rich and poor. European Union observers say they found no evidence of fraud in the election, but Lopez Obrador says he has evidence vote returns were tampered with. He wants the electoral court to order a full recount. The court has until Aug. 31 to decide, meaning the political deadlock could drag on for at least another month. The uncertainty hit Mexico's financial markets earlier this week, although they rebounded on Wednesday. The peso currency gained 0.9 percent and stocks were up 0.8 percent. The new president will take office on Dec 1. Fox, whose election victory in 2000 ended seven decades of one-party rule, was barred under Mexico's laws from standing for re-election.

ITN Source | August 3, 2006

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