Election fraud claims stop Mexico City in tracks

THOUSANDS of protesters caused commuter chaos by closing off Mexico City’s business district to traffic yesterday, pressing the main leftist candidate’s demand for a vote recount in a presidential election he claims was stolen from him.

Launching a campaign of civil disobedience Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s supporters seized control of the capital’s imposing Zocalo square on Sunday night as well as a six-mile (10-km) stretch of the elegant Reforma boulevard.

They set up tents and huge tarpaulin covers in the middle of the wide, tree-lined avenue, cutting off all commuter traffic on Monday morning.

Workers were still allowed into their offices, but the occupation caused long delays for many commuters.

Lopez Obrador apologised but said his campaign to overturn the July 2 election that he narrowly lost to conservative ruling party candidate Felipe Calderon would save Mexico’s young democracy.

Calderon’s margin of victory was just 244,000 votes, or less than 0.6 percentage points, and Lopez Obrador claims results from more than half of polling stations were tampered with.