Mexico celebrated its independence with a military parade Saturday, after the traditional 'Cry' was held without incident. The day was set to end with a so-called National Democratic Convention held by the supporters of leftist presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico City's Zocalo square. | “The rally was set to last several hours and seemed likely to result in the proclamation of Lopez Obrador, the losing candidate in Mexico's July 2 presidential election, as the country's 'legitimate president.'” |
Lopez Obrador, who lost the election by 0.56 percentage points to conservative candidate Felipe Calderon of the ruling centre-right National Action Party (PAN), has said that vote was fraudulent and refuses to concede defeat. His followers have demanded a full recount. The former mayor of Mexico City, Lopez Obrador hoped to gather 1 million people for Saturday's demonstration. He opened the rally alongside allies including current Mexico City Mayor Alejandro Encinas and Elena Poniatowska.
Gerardo Fernandez Norona, spokesman of Lopez Obrador's centre-left Party of Democratic Revolution (PRD), said that the convention would probably recognize Lopez Obrador 'as the legitimate president' in the face of 'usurpation' by Calderon. Lopez Obrador, who has called his followers to prevent Calderon's scheduled inauguration on December 1, had proposed that the convention designate a 'legitimate president' or a coordinator of 'peaceful civic resistance.'
Some Mexican intellectuals and even left-wing leaders including PRD founder Cuauhtemoc Cardenas have criticized the plan to proclaim Lopez Obrador as president, and have warned against violating Mexico's constitutional process.