MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mexican electoral court rejects recount

Mexico's top electoral court on Saturday rejected a ballot-by-ballot recount in the disputed presidential election, angering supporters of leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who have kept the nation in turmoil for weeks.

In Mexico's central plaza, thousands of protesters watched the court session on a huge screen, chanting "Vote by vote!" and drowning out the judges' statements. Representatives of Lopez Obrador walked out of the session in protest.

Tens of thousands of Lopez Obrador's supporters have camped out in the capital's center for a week, disrupting business and traffic to press their case that their candidate was cheated of victory in the July 2 election and to demand that all the votes be recounted.

In their first public session on the dispute, the seven judges of the Federal Electoral Court left open the possibility that they could order a partial recount. The tribunal has until Sept. 6 to declare a president-elect or annul the elections.

Official tallies gave ruling party candidate Felipe Calderon, a former energy secretary, an advantage of less than 0.6 percent, or about 240,000 votes, out of more than 41 million cast.

Chief justice Leonel Castillo argued Saturday that Mexico's political parties had a chance to raise concerns and dispute results when the results were first counted July 2 and then again during an official count held the week after the vote.

During an official count, Mexican law allows authorities to open ballot boxes only if there is evidence of irregularities or fraud. Castillo cautioned against straying from the law, saying recounts should be "exclusively and only" when there are obvious problems.

He recommended that a partial recount begin Wednesday and last no more than five days. He also said electoral judges should oversee the process to avoid any doubts.

"We all want certainty ... and that's what we have with these results," Castillo said.

Lopez Obrador contends he won the election and argues that a full, ballot-by-ballot recount is the only way to restore faith in Mexico's electoral system. Calderon has expressed confidence the election was clean and fair, and European Union observers said they found no problems in the vote counting.

The protest camps in Mexico City's cultural and financial heart, the elegant Reforma Avenue and the Zocalo plaza, have snarled traffic for nearly a week.

Braving violent, nearly nightly rainstorms and even flooding, protesters said they would not leave unless the electoral court ordered a complete recount. "If there is no solution, there'll be revolution" they said.

The race was the closest presidential contest in Mexican history, dividing the nation along class and social lines.

Lopez Obrador promised to govern for the poor, while Calderon had the backing of the nation's growing middle and elite classes, many of whom want to protect the homes and cars they have been able to buy thanks to falling interest rates.

A president-elect must be declared by 6 September to replace Vicente Fox on 1 December.