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Council On
Hemispheric Affairs |
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Monitoring Political, Economic and Diplomatic Issues Affecting the
Western Hemisphere |
| COHA Report
06.13 |
Word Count: 3300 |
Flirting with Danger: Mexican Presidential Campaign Grows Tense
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Analysis prepared by COHA Research Fellow Michael Lettieri
Tuesday, June 6, 2006
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Mexico crackles with anxiety as the July 2 presidential vote approaches;
growing bitterness threatens the country’s newfound stability
- The seeds of deep political divisiveness planted during the campaign
could present grave challenges for the incoming government
- President Fox is largely to blame for the race’s polarization,
as his constant interventions – some in violation of electoral regulations
– have led opposition
candidates to complain of an “election by the state” and have done grievous
damage to the tattered remains of his reputation
- Mounting social unrest has added to an already volatile
mix, leading some to fear that a potential post-ballot dispute could
quickly
turn nasty and further
compromise Mexico’s still unconsolidated democratic institutions and traditions
With just under a month to go until
Mexico’s July 2 presidential election, deep uncertainties have taken
hold of the
country. As the top two contenders, left-leaning Andrés Manuel López
Obrador of the Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD)
and Felipe Calderón Hinojosa of the ruling conservative Partido
de Acción Nacional (PAN), begin their final campaign drives, the
two men appear to be in a virtual tie. Some polls suggest that Calderón
may hold a wafer-thin advantage – a dramatic reversal of the situation
as little as two months ago when López Obrador’s lead seemed insurmountable.
Yet the numbers are still unsettled, and much will depend on the June 6
debate, where Calderón and López Obrador will square off
on live television.
Full
article...
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