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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | August 2006 
Calderón Prepares to Govern
 Washington Post
| | Felipe Calderón, the conservative technocrat and unofficial winner in Mexico's July 2 election, is predicting he'll be declared the official victor within a couple weeks. (AP/Alexandre Meneghini) |
A partial recount of the presidential ballots begins Wednesday with the two rivals as entrenched as ever in their positions, thought the announcement by Mexico's election tribunal that a little less than 10 percent of the ballots will be reexamined appears to be an encouraging development for Calderón.
Felipe Calderón, the conservative technocrat and unofficial winner in Mexico's July 2 election, is predicting he'll be declared the official victor within a couple weeks.
In a weekend session with leaders of his National Action Party, or PAN, Calderón was already outlining plans for his presidency.
Among the first actions Calderón is considering is legislation to redefine the duties and authority of Mexico's electoral commission and the seven-judge tribunal that ordered the partial recount Friday. "Calderón called for 'profound' electoral reform, saying the current system showed signs of 'exhaustion.' He has called for changes including a reduction of the campaign period, less federal funding for the candidates and smaller federal legislative bodies," according to the Miami Herald's Mexico edition.
"'It's vital that we begin a deep revision of Mexico's democratic system,'" Calderón said. "'The strength of our institutions has been overcome and is threatened by a rise in anti-democratic, anarchistic and intolerant viewpoints.'"
The Wall Street Journal apparently shares Calderón's confidence, declaring in Monday's edition that the Harvard-educated Calderón is "on the verge of winning the presidency." The story praises him for savvy post-election maneuvering, including assembling a cadre of 1,000 largely volunteer lawyers - "Following the July 2 election, Mr. Calderón has been a more adept politician and leader than many expected. He has shown legal smarts and has skillfully exploited many Mexicans' fear of [leftist candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador], the 52-year-old former mayor of Mexico City."
But not everything has gone perfectly for Calderón in the month-plus interregnum.
"Mr. Calderón has not yet demonstrated an ability to persuade Mr. López Obrador's supporters among the poor that, as president, he would be sympathetic to their plight," the Journal notes. "He denies being out of touch with the needs of the poor and has pledged to make social welfare programs more effective. Nevertheless, he could take office in a weakened position - facing the enmity of a large portion of the Mexican population and fighting a continuing battle with Mr. López Obrador, as the chief opposition figure." |
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