Posted on 09/02/2006 8:32:13 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
MEXICO CITY - Mexico's leftist presidential candidate threatened to disrupt the swearing in of his ruling party rival Saturday, a day after lawmakers blocked the outgoing president from delivering his state-of-the-nation speech to Congress in an escalating crisis over the July 2 election.
Leftist legislators yelling for a recount of votes surrounded the congressional podium on Friday, leaving President Vicente Fox, wearing his presidential sash, standing at the door of the chambers with no choice but to hand in his annual, written report and leave.
Leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said he will never recognize a victory by ruling-party candidate Felipe Calderon and says he will declare himself as the alternative president.
The bold move by leftist lawmakers on Friday caused concern about whether the election dispute was spiraling out of control and threatening Mexico's still-fragile democracy.
It also raised the question of whether the next president can rule effectively after Fox's administration has tolerated Lopez Obrador's blocking one of the capital's major streets for weeks and keeping the president from speaking to lawmakers.
Lopez Obrador's campaign spokesman Jesus Ortega said Saturday the candidate's supporters will stop Calderon from being sworn in on Dec. 1. He spoke in an interview with the Mexican radio station Formato 21.
With the Federal Electoral Tribunal likely to declare Calderon president-elect this week, the battle is expected to intensify between Fox, who has been reluctant to intervene in the growing national strife, and Lopez Obrador, who has vowed to govern Mexico from the streets.
Lopez Obrador, who claims fraud and dirty tricks robbed him of the presidency July 2, has called supporters to a mass meeting to plot strategy on Sept. 16 in Mexico City's central plaza — the same day and place Mexico's army stages an annual parade.
So far the president has kept arms length from the crisis even as thousands of Lopez Obrador supporters have filled the capital's financial and historic districts with sprawling tent cities.
Fox also has done little to halt chaos in the provincial capital of Oaxaca, where a teachers' strike had developed into a sometimes-violent rebellion against a state governor.
Friday's protest marked the first time in modern history, a Mexican president has not given his yearly address in person to the Congress. Fox was forced to air a recorded speech on national television that touted his government's accomplishments, while skirting a direct mention of the country's worst political crisis in modern history. It cut to video of smiling school children and other cheerful scenes.
The cancellation of his last state-of-the-nation speech as leftist lawmakers stood in the chambers holding banners calling him a traitor was a stark contrast to the mood of Fox's historic victory in 2000, when Mexicans celebrated as proof that the country had finally become a true democracy.
Political commentator Homero Aridjis said Fox may have ended 71 years of authoritarian, single-party rule — and his conservative fiscal policies have stabilized the peso — but his legacy is "leaving us with political collapse."
The former Coca-Cola manager has failed to alleviate poverty or usher in reforms he described as essential, stymied by his inability to cajole an opposition-dominated legislature.
But his biggest challenge has come at the end of his six-year term. How he handles the deepening crisis in his final three months in office will be crucial to the fate of the country's democracy.
Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor, has portrayed himself as the savior of the poor while painting Calderon and his business-friendly National Action Party as representing the rich.
Some analysts say Fox needs to use his party's increased weight in the newly elected Congress to push through social programs that will benefit the poor and possibly diffuse Lopez Obrador's support and smooth the transition for Calderon.
"If Congress approves a social program that helps the mass of Mexican people, no one will remember whether Calderon won by 250,000 votes or 25 million votes," said George Grayson, a Mexico expert at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. "You create your own mandate."
This scumbag needs to be hauled off to jail for disturbing the peace. Enough is enough.
It looks like the words 'treason' and 'sedition' have no meaning in Mexico either.
A guy at Auto Zone today told my husband and I that if Mexico plummets into Civil War (yeah, not IRAQ, but MEXICO) then the great wall of China won't keep the surge of illegals out. Then he said this "they need to build a 30 feet deep by 50 foot wide canal all along the US-Mexico border and fill it with Alligators, Parana, etc! I couldn't believe someone else had thought like it did!
Well, a Mexican civil war might give us an excuse to conqueror the place, thereby removing the problem with illegal immigration across the southern border: the southern border of Mexico is very short.
If all hell breaks loose, could make having lots of nice new walls up a number 1 concern.
Isn't this getting scary? These amlo-ites don't know how to take no for an answer. The Mexican voters didn't want them or their communism, and now true to leftist style, they seek to impose themselves by force. These dirtbags need to be swept clean from the Mexican political scene.
With all due respect, Professor Grayson is probably very naive. This is an attempted Castroite -- communist -- revolution on our doorstep. It will only be encouraged, not prevented, by passing socialist legislation. I suspect our president, secretary of state, et al, have no idea what to do about it other than hope for the best. The best possible solution would be for Lopez Obrador to die of a heart attack. Better if he had been put away long, long before this.
Actually, about half of Mexico did vote for AMLO-so you have one half of the country pitted against the other.
One can hope that AMLOs voters don't want chaos, but it doesn't take a plurality to cause a LOT of trouble.
We need troops on the border, and soon.
If the DEFEATCRATS lose again in 2008, I suspect they will act with the same level of maturity as the left in Mexico.
IMO the thing we need most is the Presidency in 2008 to replace at least two more Judges and to still lead the war against Islamic Fascist.
Wrong - about 32% - it was a three-way race. The other party that lost was able to take the loss like man, but not this clown. I agree - it's getting kind of serious, I hope they figure out a solution to him. Believe it or not, I think it's something Al Gore could be constructive in, persuading that guy to concede, but I don't have high hopes.
About 35% of the voters, not half of Mexico. And I've heard many of those who voted for him saying they wouldn't had the elections been now.
I still can't believe people seriously pitch the idea of adding Mexico to the United States.
Shall we annex Canada too and form the North American Super-State?
Let's see how Vincente takes care of communist enemies.
If he had the cojones, all the communist would have been arrested and the leaders stood up against the wall - after the same fair & impartial trial communists would afford him.
Cananda, si'! Mexico? nyet!
If they win in 06 and Mexico sinks towards anarchy, this will give the Democrats the cover needed to dump the Mideast mission. Not that they will do what is best for the US regarding immigration. Watch.
That has been seriously (note the spelling) floated.
That has been seriously (note the spelling) floated.
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