MEXICO: The runner-up in Mexico's presidential election files suit in electoral court to void the election for what he says was massive vote buying by the winner, Enrique Pena Nieto.

Record ID: 305381

  • Title: MEXICO: The runner-up in Mexico's presidential election files suit in electoral court to void the election for what he says was massive vote buying by the winner, Enrique Pena Nieto.
  • Date: 14th July 2012
  • Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (JULY 12, 2012) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) FORMER PARTY OF THE DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION (PRD) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE LOPEZ OBRADOR AT PODIUM BALLOT IN LOPEZ OBRADOR'S HAND LOPEZ OBRADOR HOLDING BALLOT JOURNALISTS IN ATTENDANCE AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FORMER PRD PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR, SAYING: "In the terms established by the law, we will present a judgement of unconformity to invalidate the presidential election. I call on all Mexicans to not allow the constitution to be violated with impunity. I call on all Mexicans to not allow the democratic path to be canceled." PHOTOGRAPHERS AND JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE LOPEZ OBRADOR LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE GENERAL VIEW OF INSTITUTIONAL REVOLUTIONARY PARTY (PRI) PRESIDENT PEDRO JOAQUIN COLDWELL PHOTOGRAPHERS AND REPORTERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PEDRO JOAQUIN COLDWELL, PRI PRESIDENT, SAYING: "The PRI will urge the electoral tribunal to defend the legality of the this electoral process and our legitimate triumph, but we will also defend the value of the votes cast by over 50 million Mexicans who exercised their suffrage, which today he (Lopez Obrador) wants to deny them. We will point out the falsehoods of his arguments and the legal truth." COLDWELL LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE OFFICIALS INCLUDING LOPEZ OBRADOR REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVING AT IFE ELECTORAL COURT OFFICIALS STANDING AT RECEPTION DESK CAMERINO ELEAZAR MARQUEZ, LOPEZ OBRADOR REPRESENTATIVE, FILING COMPLAINT WITH EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE IFE COUNCIL EDMUNDO JACOBO MOLINA MOLINA TAKING COMPLAINT DOCUMENTS PHOTOGRAPHERS VARIOUS OF MOLINA SIGNING DOCUMENT TO SHOW HE'S RECEIVED PACKAGE REPRESENTATIVES LEAVING PRD OFFICIAL RICARDO MONREAL ENTERING ROOM WITH BOXES VARIOUS OF PRD OFFICIALS HANDING OVER BOXES VARIOUS OF GIFT CARDS AND ENRIQUE PENA NIETO CAMPAIGN MATERIAL
  • Embargoed: 29th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mexico
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA4M8HQLMM3H9FIKWKKXK3EJB5T
  • Story Text: Manuel Lopez Obrador, the runner-up in Mexico's presidential race, filed suit on Thursday (July 12) before the country's electoral court in a bid to void the results on charges the winner broke campaign finance laws and bought millions of votes.
    "In the terms established by the law, we will present a judgement of unconformity to invalidate the presidential election," he said. "I call on all Mexicans not to allow the constitution to be violated with impunity. I call on all Mexicans not to allow the democratic path to be canceled," he said.
    Left-wing candidate Lopez Obrador came in 3.3 million votes behind Enrique Pena Nieto from the centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), according to the official count from the July 1 vote.
    But the former mayor of Mexico City, who also lost the 2006 presidential race by a narrower margin, says the campaign was rigged, with major media outlets skewing coverage to promote the telegenic Pena Nieto at the expense of the other parties.
    Lopez Obrador said he had proof Pena Nieto enlisted help from local governors to buy around 5 million votes by doling out pre-paid gift cards, cash, foodstuffs, building materials and fertilizer to lure poor voters to the ballot boxes.
    Lawyers for Lopez Obrador's party, the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) will claim before the electoral tribunal, known as the TRIFE, that Pena Nieto violated the constitutional protections for free elections, PRD officials said on Thursday.
    The PRI denies the accusations and has filed a legal complaint against Lopez Obrador for making false statements.
    "The PRI will urge the electoral tribunal to defend the legality of the this electoral process and our legitimate triumph, but we will also defend the value of the votes cast by over 50 million Mexicans who exercised their suffrage, which today he (Lopez Obrador) wants to deny them. We will point out the falsehoods of his arguments and the legal truth," PRI president Pedro Joaquin Coldwell said at a news conference on Thursday.
    Backed by the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) and a coalition of smaller left-wing parties, Lopez Obrador also claims the PRI pressured local officials to line up votes for the party in the many states where it holds power.
    In 2006, Lopez Obrador also refused to accept his loss to President Felipe Calderon by less than 1 percentage point. Earlier this month, Calderon's National Action Party (PAN), whose candidate Josefina Vazquez Mota finished third, voiced concerns about vote buying and media manipulation but said it would not join forces with Lopez Obrador in his push to annul the results.
    On Thursday (July 12) evening, his lawyers filed their complaint with election officials, delivering dozens of boxes filled with documents, videos, photos as well as home appliances, clothes and kitchen utensils allegedly given away by the PRI campaign.
    The TRIFE has until September 6 to consider all claims and officially declare a president-elect.
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