MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Conciliatory Mexico City's Mayor returns to office

Bolstered by a Sunday million people support march, the judicially beleaguered mayor of Mexico City defied Monday the Attorney General's office and returned to his workplace nineteen days after the Mexican Congress stripped him from prosecution immunity.

Mr. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the country's most charismatic politician and according to public opinion polls potentially the country's next president, has been charged with contempt of court over a minor land dispute. The Mayor claims the Attorney General Office offensive is an attempt from the presidential palace to keep him from running for office next year.

Mexican President Vicente Fox's spokesman Ruben Aguilar said Monday that the federal government "maintains that the return of Mr. Lopez to the mayoral office is a provocation and a violation of the law", insisting that Mr. Lopez Obrador was stripped of immunity, "removed from office" and now could face charges of "usurpation".

However the Mayor and his political party argue that the case has been appealed and it's for the Supreme Court to rule in the dispute.

During the daily city hall press conference Mr. Lopez Obrador urged his political adversaries to "heed to the voice of the people" and said he was ready for reconciliation with the Fox administration and other political forces.

"If we listen to the voices of the people, what we political actors must do is look for reconciliation. I'm ready for dialogue, I'm ready to meet (with opponents), I'm ready for unity and reconciliation for the benefit of Mexico", he underlined.

Mexico City police estimated that 1.2 million turned out Sunday to support Mr. Lopez Obrador with a silent and peaceful march of nine kilometers in downtown Mexico City which ended in the capital's massive main square el Zocalo.

The mayor was stripped of his immunity by the lower house last April 7 and can now be prosecuted for allegedly defying a court order to halt construction of a hospital access road on disputed land.

Political observers highlight that the statute supporting the charges are very rarely activated.

The Federal Attorney General's office said the Mayor could remain free on bail.

Even so the judge handling the case, alleging legal procedural technicalities returned the file to prosecutors requesting new actions.

It's hard to forecast conservative president Fox's administration next move against the popular mayor, but an arrest warrant is not excluded.

A public opinion poll published by one of Mexico's main dailies shows 65% of those interviewed contrary to President Fox handling of the Lopez Obrador case, although the president still has a 60% support.