Villahermosa, Mexico – Mexico’s main leftist party on Monday accused its rivals of fraud in the gubernatorial election for the home state of a fiery former presidential candidate who made similar complaints after losing his own race in July.
Sunday’s vote for governor in the southern state of Tabasco was seen as a key test for Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and the Democratic Revolution Party, or PRD, which blockaded Mexico City streets and led mass marches after alleging dirty tricks had robbed him of the presidency.
Tabasco streets were calm Monday after a campaign marred by street fights and arrests of supporters of both candidates.
PRD officials said they would appeal the results of Sunday’s election, which showed Andres Rafael Granier of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, defeating Cesar Raul Ojeda by 10 points. A second count of vote tallies was set for Wednesday but was unlikely to change the result.
The PRD’s Ojeda said Monday that he will present evidence that his rival bought votes, overspent on the campaign and sent thugs to menace voters – charges that, if proved true, could lead to an annulment of the election. He also says the PRI-controlled police arrested and tortured his backers.
“Mexico is having a democratic setback that started in July and has been snowballing,” Ojeda said. “Our society cannot set a precedent that torture can be used as a political weapon.”
State PRI leader Georgina Trujillo downplayed the accusations as sour grapes. “Complaining is their favorite sport,” she said of the PRD.
Lopez Obrador, who had campaigned for Ojeda, waged street protests and declared a “parallel government” after his loss to conservative Felipe Calderon by less than 1 percentage point in the July 2 presidential election.
