Thursday, July 27, 2006

AMLO takes a hit from Enrique Krause


Enrique Krause is Mexico's premier historian and one of its most prolific essayists. In today's Washington Post, here is some of what he has to say about Andrés Manuel López Obrador:
Besides proclaiming his own victory, insulting the president, personally threatening Calderón and his family, calling the officials of the Federal Electoral Institute "criminals," and anticipating the verdict of the judiciary's Federal Electoral Tribunal, López Obrador has employed tactics worthy of an Orwell novel. Arithmetical irregularities that are isolated, that are only presumed and not confirmed by the tribunal, are presented to the public as clear proof that the whole process was tainted. And if, as occurred on July 11, his own polling-place representatives deny a purported irregularity, López Obrador argues that they were "bought" or corrupted.
Krauze details the citizenship displayed by Mexicans throughout the election process and notes that this process, which AMLO now decries as a "fraud", also gave AMLO's party its largest share ever of the Mexican congress, making it the second largest block in the legislature.
After a model Election Day (free, orderly, peaceful) during which 41,791,322 Mexicans voted, their votes tabulated in 130,477 polling places by 909,575 citizens, the PRD (Democratic Revolutionary Party) candidate for president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, lost by a margin of 0.57 percentage point to Felipe Calderón, candidate of the National Action Party (PAN).
Krause paints AMLO for what he sees himself to be:
"The people," or "the nation," will be those sectors of the population that López Obrador is able to get out into the country's streets and plazas in coming days and weeks -- those who see him as he sees himself, as the Mexican messiah. And who will interpret the wishes of this "people," a repository of natural and divine law rather than of the petty laws written by men? The charismatic leader who incarnates Truth, Reason, History and Virtue, the leader who will save Mexico from oppression, inequality, injustice and poverty, who will "purify national life": Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Krause says that AMLO is prepared to "set the country aflame" and I think Krause is correct. My question is whether or not the law and those who represent the law, from President Fox to the electoral magistrates who must make the ultimate decision as to the election victor, have the will to defend the law and the republic against this onslaught.

I have my doubts.

UPDATE: I forgot to thank Dave for the tip.


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