MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lopez Obrador working for massive rally on Sunday

From different districts in Mexico peaceful marchers begun converging on Mexico City in support of presidential hopeful Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and to protest what they say was a “vote fraud” in Sunday July 2 presidential election which has as undeclared winner by half a percentage point ,Conservative candidate Felipe Calderón.

Some small groups of sympathizers are already in downtown Mexico City in anticipation of Sunday's forecasted massive "informative assembly" when Lopez Obrador is expected to announce further details of his strategy to challenge the election results.

Marchers have said they would not back down unless electoral authorities accept their candidate's demand for a vote by vote, district by district recount, following video and phone taps evidence allegedly showing "vote stuffing" and "organized fraud".

Last Saturday Lopez Obrador managed to convene 200.000 people in support of his challenge which he presented Monday before the Mexican Judiciary and the Federal Electoral Tribunal which has the last word and will according to the country's constitution proclaim the next president.

Mexico has a long history of rigged elections but since current president Vicente Fox came to office in 2000, dethroning seven decades of undisputed power from the Revolutionary Institutional Party, PRI, and its powerful political structure, it was thought these kinds of events and challenges belonged to the past.

Lopez Obrador legal advisors presented Wednesday two videos with alleged irregularities in the electoral process. In one of them polling stations over count votes for Calderon with the tally showing more ballots than registered voters.

The Federal Electoral Institute responsible for organising elections rejected the fraud allegations arguing they were "normal procedure". But the latest videos were filmed in states closely linked to the ruling National Action Party of President Fox and former Energy minister Felipe Calderon.

"I won the presidential election, I am more and more sure of that," Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday at a news conference. Lopez Obrador believes fraud and irregularities mean a nationwide vote-by-vote recount is the only way to settle doubts.

"I'm calling on all followers and citizens who want democracy in Mexico to closely follow events the 24 hours in all 300 electoral districts", said Lopez Obrador.

When asked how far he was prepared to go with the demonstrations and rallies Lopez Obrador replied "until people want me to, I will ask them to keep marching and struggling for democracy".

President Fox's spokesperson Ruben Aguiar said there was nothing to be concerned about because "marchers have promised they will do so peacefully and with the utmost respect for the law".

Lopez Obrador coalition presented 225 different challenges before the Federal Electoral Tribunal which has until August 31 to decide and must declare a victor: Mexico's elected president by September 6 at the latest. Meantime Mr. Calderon has already formed a team to oversee a smooth transition of power from fellow conservative Fox. Calderon denies fraud and says a vote-by-vote recount is not legally possible in Mexico.

But many Mexicans, as well as foreign investors, worry Lopez Obrador will not be able to control protests in his favor once he has called people onto the streets. Election results have poked fears of a split country in halves, the industrialized north with Calderon and the poor and peasant south with Lopez Obrador.

This has shown in the Mexican stock market which has been volatile since election day. Despite a string of allegations of irregularities in the vote count, campaign overspends and pro-Calderon bias among electoral authorities, the election was ruled free and fair by European Union observers.

Even so, many Mexicans are sensitive to suggestions of fraud. Surveys carried out by Calderon's National Action Party showed that as many as 30% of Mexicans believe the election was fraudulent, party aides admit.