Mexico Rival Lopez Obrador Urges Protests Reuters
go to original September 1, 2012

Thousands of people have been protesting in Mexico's capital against the results of the presidential election. The electoral tribunal has officially accepted Enrique Pena Nieto as the winner of the July Poll after it threw out an appeal by runner-up Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Al Jazeera's Adam Raney reports from Mexico City.

Mexico's electoral tribunal confirmed Enrique Pena Nieto as president-elect, but his rival refused to accept defeat and held out the possibility of further protests that could hamper reform efforts.

The tribunal threw out an attempt to overturn the election result by leftist leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who had accused Pena Nieto of laundering money and buying votes in the July election.

Centrist Pena Nieto, 46, will be sworn in on December 1 and has pledged a raft of fiscal, labour and energy reforms, which Lopez Obrador is likely to resist.

"It's time to start a new chapter of responsible work for Mexico and unity," Pena Nieto said in an address at the court following the ruling. "Let's work together for the reforms that Mexico needs."

He said he would announce his transition team in the coming days and would set out reforms aiming to improve governmental transparency and battle corruption in the weeks ahead.

Lopez Obrador, whose supporters blocked many of Mexico City's main thoroughfares for weeks after he narrowly lost the 2006 election, rejected the judges' decision.

"I cannot accept the tribunal's ruling, which has declared the presidential election valid," he told reporters, calling for a rally in Mexico City's main square on September 9. "Then we will determine what happens next."

Lopez Obrador did not specify the steps he was considering but his words recalled the disruptive protests of 2006.

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