AMLO TAKES TO THE STAGE: HOLDS FIRST MEETING WITH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 003832 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR MX SUBJECT: AMLO TAKES TO THE STAGE: HOLDS FIRST MEETING WITH SUPPORTERS REF: A. A) MEXICO 3747 ¶B. B) MEXICO 3422 Summary ¶1. Presidential candidate for the Coalition for the Good of All, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO),held his first post-electoral "informative meeting" in Mexico's central plaza, the Zocalo, on Saturday, July 8. AMLO used the venue to express his concerns with the election process and the Federal Electoral Institute's (IFE) alleged lack of objectivity. He also presented some of the facts supporting his challenge of the results and called on supporters around the country to rally around him through non-violent protest and join him in Mexico City for the next "informative meeting," called for Sunday, July 16. By Sunday evening, AMLO's representative before the IFE, Horacio Duarte, had filed the first set of appeals before the Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF),the total number of which will exceed 50,000 nationwide. End Summary. Rally Call ¶2. On Thursday, July 6, hours before the IFE finished its retabulation of the July 2 election, AMLO held a news conference to announce that he was not accepting the IFE's results and would contest them with the TEPJF. He called supporters to an "informative meeting" to be held at Mexico City's Zocalo on Saturday, July 8, at 5:00 pm (ref A). Supporters began gathering at 1:00 pm Saturday and the crowd grew to between 150,000 and 280,000, depending upon the source, by the time AMLO made his way to the stage. Once there, AMLO thanked supporters for defending his alternative project for the nation, "capable of creating the necessary legal and economic reforms, a more dignified political system, better social conditions, and less inequality and more justice." He also told them that it was no longer simply about him and the Presidency, but that it was about the "fundamental will to change the country" - asking supporters to continue defending the project to the bitter end. Enemies of Democracy ¶3. AMLO eventually stepped back into familiar territory, reminding those gathered that the attacks against him had started long ago during last year's desafuero process, culminating during the campaign's "dirty war" and now again as the decision heads to the TEPJF. He accused his opponents of buying radio and television space to defame him publicly, overspending by millions of dollars, and utilizing government institutions and public resources to support their candidate. AMLO called President Fox a "traitor to democracy" for dedicating so much time to attacking his candidacy and for using democratic advances to win in 2000, only to betray those same democratic advances in 2006. AMLO also attacked the IFE for allegedly not acting impartially, accusing it of manipulating the electoral computing system and the dissemination of information. ¶4. AMLO assured his supporters he had sufficient evidence to prove these accusations and more, and that on Sunday, July 9, he would officially challenge the election before the TEPJF. He told supporters he would ask the Tribunal to "clean up the elections" and count each vote in every voting booth. He explained that during the retabulation process, numerous irregularities were found in those voting booths that they had been allowed to recount, and that he had evidence to prove that similar irregularities existed in many more. He also said he will appeal to the Supreme Court to investigate incidents that constitute a "violation of the public vote and illegality of the entire electoral process." AMLO assured the crowd that he was victorious on July 2 and that a full vote count will overturn IFE's results. He called on the Tribunal to be mindful of the historic decision it is about to make, and to the military to guard the electoral district offices so no one can tamper with the ballots. He even called on radio and television stations to continue informing the public on what is happening and not to concede to pressure from the federal government and other political adversaries. Next Steps ¶5. AMLO closed by calling supporters to assist in a "national march for democracy" starting Wednesday, July 12. He asked political party leaders, congressional candidates, governors, municipal presidents and local representatives, artists, intellectuals and writers to help organize groups in all of Mexico's 300 electoral districts, to march toward Mexico MEXICO 00003832 002 OF 002 City. These groups will convene in Mexico City on Sunday, July 16, for a march into the Zocalo, where AMLO plans to host his second "informative meeting." He called on supporters to make this march peaceful and warned them not to be provoked into violence by their enemies. He also stated that he did not want these marches to affect other citizens and asked his supporters to avoid closing down highways or city streets. AMLO also asked his supporters to each bring ten more people to attend next Sunday's meeting. In addition to the national marches, AMLO also called for volunteers to form regional and local committees to inform the public on what is happening and counterattack his adversaries' own information strategies, which he stated were being used to misinform and confuse the public. Finally, he asked supporters to remain united and confident and to remember that this is more about preventing Mexico's democratic regression than about the plight of one man. Misleading Claims ¶6. In a press conference 7/10 AMLO showed videotapes that allegedly supported his allegations of malfeasance in the elections -- but the charges were quickly rebutted. In one, an individual is seen feeding several ballots into the ballot box for deputies -- but the individual quickly explained that he was simply putting incorrectly deposited ballots in the correct box during the initial tabulation, and the PRD representative at the balloting site reportedly concurred with this action. In another, voting officials argue with the PRD representative and refuse to open a disputed voting box to count the votes. What the tape doesn't show, according to PAN officials, is that the voting box was finally opened and the PAN won an additional 200 votes. Comment ¶7. Poloff spoke to a number of AMLO campaign contacts Saturday evening, all of whom told us that AMLO's strategy was two-fold. On the one hand, he sought to challenge the election and appeal to the Tribunal within the framework of the law, and on the other hand, to pressure the Tribunal through a "show of force" in the same way he pressured politicians and the Fox administration to drop the charges against him during last year's desafuero process (intended to remove AMLO's political immunity and bar him from running for President). Many of the contacts, however, did not appear to be convinced the strategy would work again this time, citing the difference between the Tribunal's position and that of politicians. By Sunday evening, AMLO had completed the first step in both strategies as Horacio Duarte presented the first tranche of challenges to Mexico City's 15th Electoral District. In addition to the formal challenge of the results in specific ballot boxes, the Coalition also formulated a 800-page document of "abstract causes" for AMLO's defeat. AMLO is also reportedly planning recourse to the Supreme Court although the Constitution and precedent clearly establish the TEPJF as the final arbiter of the elections. End Comment. Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity GARZA