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Vote re-count in Mexico

MEXICO CITY: Electoral officials began a marathon review of vote tallies on Wednesday to determine whether conservative candidate Felipe Calderon really won the tight presidential election, a key test for an electoral system that has been championed as a shining example for emerging democracies. A preliminary count showed Mr. Calderon, of President Vicente Fox's conservative National Action Party, ahead by just 1 percentage point. Charismatic Leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador demanded a recount of every ballot, alleging widespread irregularities and saying he won. Federal Electoral Institute President Luis Carlos Ugalde said late on Tuesday that 2.6 million votes were not included in the preliminary count because of ``inconsistencies,'' such as poor handwriting or extraneous marks on the tally sheets attached outside each ballot box. Mr. Obrador had initially said those 2.6 million were ``missing.'' If a review of the votes inside prove the numbers on these tally sheets are valid, Mr. Calderon would still lead, but by just 0.64 per cent — about 250,000 of the 41 million votes cast — Mr. Ugalde said. — AP

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