MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mexicans consider Calderon winner, but support vote recount

A majority of Mexicans believe Conservative Felipe Calderón won the contested July 2 presidential election but also consider necessary a vote recount, as demanded by populist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, according to a public opinion poll released Thursday.

The survey from Ipsos-Bimsa published in "El Universal" shows that 52.5% of those polled believe Mr. Calderon from the ruling National Action Party, PAN, was the victor on July 2, while 38.1% support Mr. Lopez Obrador from the opposition Democratic Revolution Party, PRD. However when asked about the vote recount, 48% said they were in favour with only 28% against.

The survey was undertaken between July 21/24 involving a thousand adults from all the country with a plus/minus margin of 3.5%.

The survey also showed that 43% support Mr Lopez Obrador call for a peaceful "civilian resistance" to press for the vote by vote recount. So far the "resistance" has been expressed through rallies, protest marches and blocking some of the big companies which allegedly supported financially the (winning) Conservative candidate.

But even when 53% consider the election was "fair", 42% approve the challenges contesting the electoral results presented by Lopez Obrador.

When specifically asked who the Federal Electoral Tribunal should declare the legitimate winner of the presidential election, 45% said Calderon; 26% Lopez Obrador and 20% said the election should be annulled.

Mexico's presidential election of last July 2, one of the closest in history, four days later showed Calderon winning by 243.934 votes which represents a 0.58% difference. Lopez Obrador refused to accept the result and challenged it before the Federal Electoral Tribunal together with a vote by vote recount petition, which is not contemplated in Mexican electoral legislation.

The Electoral Tribunal has until August 31 to decide on who the winner is and must officially call the elected president by September 6th at the latest, if it finally validates the electoral process.

The elected president is scheduled to take office next December.