Mexican Left threatens continuing protest if Calderon is declared President-Elect (Translation)

eluniversal.com.mx ^ | August 22, 2006 | Francisco Reséndiz ( translated by self )

[StJacques]

The PRD: Solid in its decision to fight the imposition of Calderon

The national director of the the PRD warns that "if they perpetrate the imposition [of Calderon as President] we are going to mobilize wherever they attempt to give proof of his majority."

Leonel Cota Montaño made clear that "we are not going to modify a single line of resistance which the For the Good of All coalition has maintained in demanding the transparency of the presidential election."

The national leader of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) said that it will solidly oppose "the decision to avoid transparency, and in that case to fight the imposition" of Felipe Calderon as President of the Republic."

He indicated that "we will not stand around with our arms crossed, if they perpetrate the imposition we are going to mobilize wherever they attempt to give proof of his majority."

He held up that, as an imposed president, the PAN Party candidate will not be able to develop a government in the interest of the citizens, only for the benefit of "the oligarchy that has sacked this country."

On the opening of the internal legislative process, in which the newly-elected 126 Deputies and 29 Senators of the PRD will choose their respective parlimentary coordinators, the South Californian¹ emphasized that they would not permit a repeat of the postelectoral scenario of 1988.²

He censured President Vicente Fox for his statements to the German news media of the previous evening, with which he identified PAN candidate Felipe Calderon as the winner of the July 2 elections.

"This reveals to us that intervention by which outside decisions have put the governability of the country at risk . . . it is not the President of the Republic but the Electoral Tribunal who is competent to define the winner; when faced with these impositions we are not going to stand with our arms crossed," he insisted.

This afternoon, Leonel Cota indicated that Mexico is living through one of the most dramatic and relevant moments of its history. He indicated that there is a "most grave" political-electoral crisis derived from the decision of a powerful group to prevent the PRD from directing the destiny of the country.

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Translator's Notes:

¹Leonel Cota Montaño is from the Mexican state of Baja California del Sur, which comprises the southern portion of the Baja California peninsula.

²After the presidential election of 1988, in which it was widely assumed that the PRI candidate Carlos Salina Gortari stole the presidency by virtue of fraud, a legislative crisis ensued at the opening of the new Mexican Congress.

[StJacques]

Well I guess the PRD has nothing left but conspiracy theory to keep its ever-dwindling protest numbers from declining further. A month ago these words would have looked a lot more threatening than they do today. I note that the tone of this article does not seem to hold out much hope that the Electoral Tribunal will conduct any hand recount of all the ballots of the election, as Lopez Obrador has demanded repeatedly, nor that it might declare him the winner by annulling either all or most of the recounted precincts, as the PRD and its coalition partners have requested.

I expect we will hear something important from the Electoral Tribunal later this week.

[StJacques]

A Mexican post-election ping for you all.

Anyone wishing to read the other translations I have posted on the Mexican post-election controversy may do so by using the forum's "keyword search" option with the unique keyword -- STJTRANSLATION

[ichabod1]

There aren't enough of them left.

[vetsvette]

To the left, elections can only come out two ways:

Either they win outright as they should; or, the opposition stole the election - in which case, it must be overturned by whatever means necessary.

Leftists are always right and the public, while dumber than all leftist politicians, is smart enough never to vote for anyone but a leftist. Ergo, all honest elections result in victory for the left and all elections that don't give them victory are dishonest.

[TexasCajun]

Un minuto por favor. ¡Estoy en mi camino!

[GeronL]

wow. This is their reaction when they go from the #3 party to the #2 party?? Crazy kook stuff? I bet a lot of their voters want to go back to the PRI after all this idiocy.

[OldFriend]

The wimpy and weakkneed ought to have declared the winner at once rather than allow this nonsense to fester.

Every day that goes by gives ammunition to the malcontents.

[thoughtomator]

It's a quagmire heading to a civil war. It's time we pulled out of Mexico.

[kesg]

[StJacques]

Mexican electoral law may be criticized legitimately in my opinion for its withholding of the declaration of an election winner until after the Electoral Tribunal reviews the entire process. This is the statutory legacy of fraud in Mexican history and, even though I think they should have found a more expeditious way to do it, I do understand the reasoning behind the system.

[samtheman]

Continuing protests from the left. Now there's something new.

[OldFriend]

There were so many safeguards in place to assure the election was honest, I don't see what is to be gained by this delay. However, I certainly defer to your more informed opinion. Perhaps this is a lesson learned by the Mexicans.

[Continental Soldier]

Leftists such as these are the enemies of democracy. Once they show their colors, they should be rounded up and shipped out! Out to where, you might ask. Out to the North Pole! :)

[Texan5]

Thanks for the news that is actually very good. So Obragore and his useful idiots are going to keep on whining and carrying signs-where have we seen that before? Sr. Gore-Al Gore-usted hace que una distancia invite el telefono rojo de la cortensia...

[livius]

I read a bit on the Spanish language version of Zenit (newsletter from Vatican) that the Archbishop of Mexico City has filed a complaint because Obragore's supporters have twice stormed the Cathedral and disrupted the Mass. The PRD say the Church isn't supporting them and they want it to...fat chance.

[mickey blue eyes]

I guess one crook is has good as another

[MonroeDNA]

Thank you, snippy Algore, for setting a world precedent.

A-hole.

[StJacques]

NYer and Salvation, I'm pinging the two of you here just for purposes of keeping you both informed.

livius; you wrote:

"I read a bit on the Spanish language version of Zenit (newsletter from Vatican) that the Archbishop of Mexico City has filed a complaint because Obragore's supporters have twice stormed the Cathedral and disrupted the Mass. . . ."

This is a much bigger issue in the PRD protest movement than a lot of people realize in my opinion. About three weeks ago, I recall reading that at one of AMLO's big demonstrations there were numerous protestors walking around with pictures of Pope Benedict either dressed with a Hitler mustache or paired up with Hitler. I remarked when I read that, knowing as I do that Catholicism is very strong in rural Mexico in particular and throughout northern Mexico in general, that these protestors were not people looking for solutions, no; these were people looking to pick a fight. I cannot imagine what they could do to increase conflict between themselves and the rest of Mexico more than to attack the Catholic Church, but I think that conflict is exactly what they are seeking.

The first of the two protest confrontations took place on Sunday the 13th at the metropolitan cathedral in Mexico City to specifically disrupt the homily Cardinal Norberto Rivera intended to give during mass. Everyone was forewarned of the PRD's intent because the protestors, probably numbering only a handful of individuals, showed up beforehand carrying banners and signs out front, which led to the closing of the doors after the beginning of mass. Several PRD demonstrators forced their way in anyway, shouting at the Cardinal and the congregation and had to be forcibly removed from the interior of the church so that Cardinal Rivera could finish his sermon. Obviously, many among the PRD are upset that the PAN party is closely aligned with the Catholic Church and they are blaming Cardinal Rivera for this. But after mass, Rivera made a statement trying to calm down the situation, but which I believe may have only aggravated it. After saying that the doors of the church were open to everyone to come and hear the word of God, he tried to suggest that those protestors should not be considered as exemplifying the whole of the PRD. His exact words were "There are very violent currents within the PRD, but of course that is not the PRD, that is only a slight madness of the PRD."

I think Rivera probably should have withheld that last comment, even though he only understated the truth in my opinion, and why should the truth be important in a statement from a sitting Cardinal? But putting my sarcasm aside, things got a little more rough this past Sunday. Though no numbers are given, it is evident that a larger number of PRD protestors showed up since it was reported they were able to block the entrance to the cathedral. This time the congregants were obviously better prepared since a number of security guards and teenage boys locked themselves together arm-in-arm to form a cordon preventing any physical approach to the Cardinal when he appeared. In spite of the shouting of the PRD supporters, many of whom were evidently women, order was restored, the doors were shut and mass continued with the protestors circling the building. About this time Lopez Obrador's speech concluded and more PRD supporters, the article says that there were about 300 total by this time, went over to the cathedral, whose entrance was secured by the teenage boys who prevented their entrance. Very soon afterwards, two prominent PRD spokesmen; Gerardo Fernandez Noroña and Manuel Camacho Solis, disavowed any formal contact with the organizers of the protest or its intent.

There evidently has been some public reaction against the PRD following these incidents. Today Lopez Obrador publicly requested his followers to stand down from any further protests directed at any church and Leonel Cota Montaño, the PRD leader interviewed in the article at the top of this thread, further disavowed any association with or authorization of the protest actions against the church. He stated that this is what their political opponents want and they are inflaming opinion against the Lopez Obrador-led coalition because "they are desperate," a comment which struck me as significantly divorced from reality, but then we are talking about the Left here, so I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

I haven't read anything about Cardinal Norberto Rivera's official protest yet, but I think the just-discussed events do make clear that the Catholic Church in Mexico is not going to be an outsider if the PRD's demonstrations get violent. No; the church will be a target and understanding this makes clear why the church has been so vocal in its pleas with AMLO not to "ignite" Mexico with his protest to the elections. I also think that making the church a focus of protest action shows desperation on the part of the PRD and it will definitely work against them in the long run. And I will keep an eye out for any further events which may illuminate this controversy in the future.

[WOSG]

"Well I guess the PRD has nothing left but conspiracy theory to keep its ever-dwindling protest numbers from declining further. A month ago these words would have looked a lot more threatening than they do today. I note that the tone of this article does not seem to hold out much hope that the Electoral Tribunal will conduct any hand recount of all the ballots of the election, as Lopez Obrador has demanded repeatedly, nor that it might declare him the winner by annulling either all or most of the recounted precincts, as the PRD and its coalition partners have requested."

A victory for democracy, as the losers look more and more pathetic.

I hope the loserman attitude of the PRD collapses their pathetic party.

[StJacques]

"I hope the loserman attitude of the PRD collapses their pathetic party."

You and me both WOSG.