Populist Lopez Obrador Demands Full Vote Recount in Mexico's Closest-Ever Election

The party of populist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is demanding a full, vote-by-vote recount in Mexico's closest-ever presidential race.

A preliminary count of the votes cast in Sunday's election gave a slim lead to conservative candidate Felipe Calderon. But federal election officials acknowledged Tuesday that more than three million ballots - or eight percent of the total - remain uncounted. In the latest tally, Calderon leads Lopez Obrador by just over 0.6 of a percentage point, meaning the race is still too close to call.

On election night, both of Mexico's major television networks said their exit polls showed a statistical tie. Two hours later both candidates claimed victory in Mexico City.

The new election results were released on Tuesday after Lopez Obrador made charges of fraud and manipulation of the vote. His party is calling for a full recount of all 41 million votes claiming that some voting places were counted twice while others weren't counted at all. Although a formal recount will begin today, electoral authorities will only be required to re-check tallies from each ballot box.

Lopez Obrador has been running on a progressive platform calling for greater aid to the poor; free medical care and food subsidies for the elderly; the rewriting of NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement; and the end to the further privatization of the country's oil and gas industries. Meanwhile Felipe Calderon has received the strong backing of the business community.

* David Brooks, U.S. Bureau Chief for Mexican Daily newspaper La Jornada.
* Gilberto López Rivas, anthropologist with the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico City. He is also a frequent contributor to La Jornada.
* John Ross, a regular contributor to the Nation, Counterpunch and La Jornada. He has also written three books chronicling the Zapitista movement in Mexico. His latest is "Making Another World Possible: Zapatista Chronicle 2000-2006" to be published by Nation Books in October 2006. His most recent article about the Mexico elections is on the Nation.com website and is titled "Disputed Election Raises Tensions in Mexico."
* George Grayson, professor of Government at the College of William and Mary. He also writes a regular column for "Milenio Semanal," a weekly magazine in Mexico. Professor Grayson's latest book is about presidential contender, Andrés Manuel López Obrador and is titled "Mesías Mexicano," - in English, "Mexican Messiah."

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