Mexican opposition alleges fraud

Press, 16 August 1988, Page 10

Mexican opposition alleges fraud

NZPA-Reuter Mexico City Mexican opposition parties staged new protests on Sunday against alleged massive fraud in last month’s Presidential election.

The Leftist National Democratic Front (F.D.N.) and conservative National Action Party (P.A.N.) held rallies across the country urging supporters to force congress to overturn results of the disputed election.

The F.D.N., led by its

Presidential candidate, Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, called on its supporters to march on Congress today, and to turn off their lights for 15 minutes each night as a show of unity. At a gathering of about 5000 P.A.N. supporters in the capital the party’s Presidential candidate, Manuel Clouthier, called on supporters to bang pots and pans and honk car horns for five minutes each night to voice their rejection of the elections. According to official results, the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party

(P.R.1.) candidate, Carlos Salinas de Gortari, won the Presidency with 50 per cent of the vote, followed by Mr Cardenas with 31 per cent and Mr Clouthier with 17 per cent. The P.R.I. also maintained majorities in both houses of Congress, despite significant Opposition gains. The Opposition parties intend to fight the results in congressional electoral colleges which, starting today, must confirm both the Congressional and Presidential votes.