Court to rule on challenges to outcome of presidential election

MEXICO’S top electoral court began a marathon session yesterday to rule on challenges to the July 2 presidential election, which have sparked weeks of protests and threatened the country’s stability.

The Federal Electoral

Tribunal was considering 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.

But Mexico may still not have a president-elect. By law, the court is supposed to resolve all complaints by August 31. It can throw out results from some polling places or even the whole election. It then has until September 6 to calculate the adjusted results and certify a winner.

Mr Lopez Obrador has led massive street protests and blockades alleging that his loss, by less than 0.6%, was due to fraud. He has already vowed not to accept anything less than a full recount — something the court previously rejected — and has promised to lead long-term national protests.

Mr Lopez Obrador, who ran with the Democratic Revolution Party, has called for a massive meeting on September 16, Mexico’s Independence Day. He told thousands of cheering supporters in Mexico City’s central plaza on Sunday that he will ask them to decide if he should be declared Mexico’s alternative president or simply continue to head a massive civil resistance movement for years to come.

Mr Calderon’s conservative National Action Party also has filed its own challenges, seeking to increase its lead.

President Vicente Fox leaves office December 1, limited like all Mexican presidents to a single, six-year term.