Friday, June 30, 2006

Countdown to Mexican Election Day: 2 days to go

Tomorrow we will examine the views of bloggers on Mexico’s presidential election.

In the meantime, here are several recent headlines on the Mexican presidential election:

-Ex-president arrested: A judge has ordered the arrest of former president Luis Echeverria for his role in the 1968 student massacre at Tlateloco. It’s unknown if Echevarria’s arrest will have an impact on the ballots, though it may hurt PRI candidate Roberto Madrazo who runs about 10 points behind Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Felipe Calderon.

-Election officials ready for anything: Mexico’s election agency is trying to ensure that Sunday’s election will be free and fair, especially with the strong possibility that results will be very close and Mexico has no runoff election. Officials from the Federal Electoral Institute still hope that results can be verified within hours of the final ballots cast. (Please read this article for more details on how the election works).

-Polls set up along border areas: In spite of the probability of high absenteeism amongst Mexicans living abroad, election officials are ensuring that there are sufficient voting locations in areas near the U.S.-Mexico border.

-Traders worry over possible Lopez Obrador win: The value of 10-year bonds fell on Friday as traders are pessimistic over the economy if Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wins. Lopez Obrador’s chief economic advisor tried to assure economic analysts that Lopez Obrador would not increase the budget deficit if elected.

-Teachers stike could affect vote: A month-long teachers protest in the state of Oaxaca has officials concerned that it may difficult to ensure fair voting there. The teachers are protesting for higher wages and better working conditions and have called for the resignation of the governor of Oaxaca.

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