Mexican Presidential candidates in Christmas truce

Election authorities have declared a Christmas “truce” in Mexico’s heated presidential race.

The autonomous Federal Electoral Institute said the five-week hiatus would give two smaller parties time to make nominations and launch their official campaigns simultaneously with the three major parties.

Campaigns will come to a halt on Sunday and resume on January 19. During the break, candidates will be forbidden from running campaign ads and holding public rallies.

The recently created New Alliance and Social Democrat Alternative parties are evaluating whether to nominate presidential candidates in the July 2006 elections, while other small parties have formed alliances instead.

The Labour and Convergence parties have teamed up with the leftist Democratic Revolution Party and its candidate, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who leads opinion polls.

The small Green Party has allied with the former ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party and its candidate Roberto Madrazo.

Felipe Calderon, candidate for the centre-right National Action, is running alone.