Opposition Promise to Fight Result of Mexican Election

Despite Bush and other world leaders congratulating the 'victor' of the Mexican election, doubts are still rife about the validity of the result. Manuel Lopez Obrador pledged on Tuesday to ensure that conservative Felipe Calderon is put "under siege" if the election result is not called in favour of the leftist leader. The result of this election could not be more important for Bush Corp. Facing a continued rising tide of leftist leaders in South America, the White House is obviously keen to ensure that the socialist revolutions do not reach their door-step. When the stakes are this high, who can claim that foul play is not at work behind the scenes. Particularly bearing in mind how close Bush was with Vincente Fox.

There are, however, real doubts regarding the validity of the result. A poll produced for El Universal claims that:

59% of respondents think the election was fraudulent.

Furthermore, despite a lack of support for the civil disorder that is being supported by Obrador, the majority of people (63%) believe that every single ballot paper should be recounted. There is clearly some unease in Mexico about the result of the election. Many eye witnesses have reported suspicious activities during the election by members of the IFE (Federal Electoral Institute). This includes tampering with ballot boxes without the presence of representatives from all the political parties (a legal requirement), footage of an election official stuffing large piles of ballots into a ballot box and changes to vote tallies by officials in favour of the PAN.

Something is clearly amiss in the electoral process in Mexico. Perhaps we will never find out the truth about the election result, and this would not be the first time in this hemisphere, particularly under the keen eye of the White House. One thing is certain, with such rumours circulating, Obrador deserves the support of those who believe in free and fair elections and who believe that a full investigation should be instigated into the allegations made. If the White House is so keen on spreading democracy, it could at least ensure that it is observed in its own backyard.