Judges rule Mexican election results hold
Felipe Calderon was declared president-elect Tuesday after two months of uncertainty, but his ability to rule effectively remained in doubt as Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador refused to recognize the victory and vowed to lead a parallel leftist government from the streets.
The unanimous decision by the Federal Electoral Tribunal rejected allegations of systematic fraud and awarded Calderon the presidency by 233,831 votes out of 41.6 million cast in the July 2 elections — a margin of 0.56 percent. The ruling cannot be appealed. For the past two months, supporters of Lopez Obrador have engaged in mass protests calling for a vote-by-vote recount, which was not granted.
Lopez Obrador told his supporters in Mexico’s main Zocalo plaza:
“I do not recognize someone who tries to act as the chief federal executive without having a legitimate and democratic representation.”
Calderon, of President Vicente Fox’s National Action Party, must win over millions of Mexicans angry that Fox didn’t make good on promises of sweeping change — and fend off thousands of radicalized leftists who say they will stop at nothing to undermine his presidency.
Lopez Obrador has also said he would block Calderon from taking power December 1. Protesters outside the tribunal wept as the decision was announced and set off firecrackers that shook the building.
“We aren’t going to let him govern!”
Thomas Jimenez, a 30-year-old law student, screamed as hundreds of protesters threw eggs and trash at the courthouse.
The decision by the seven judges — who have split their votes in disputes about other elections — also found that Fox endangered the election by making statements that favored Calderon, and that business leaders broke the law by paying for ads against Lopez Obrador, who promised to govern on behalf of the poor.
But the problems weren’t serious enough to annul the results, they said.
No violence was reported, but police surrounded the National Action’s headquarters, where businesswoman Susanna Rivera was among a few drivers honking in support of the conservative former energy secretary.
“It’s marvelous. It’s perfect,” she said of the court’s decision. “We are happy because he is a decent, educated person.” She said Lopez Obrador’s supporters would never accept Calderon because “they are a bunch of crazies.”
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