The Mexican government on Thursday tightened security around
Congress as protesters threatened to hold a rally there when
President Vicente Fox delivers his last state of the nation address
on Friday morning.
An additional of more than 1,000 personnel from the Federal
Preventative Police, the Army and the National Guard will be
deployed around the Congress.
Supporters of Coalition for the Good of All threatened to launch
a demonstration before the legislature on Friday. The coalition's
presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has so far
challenged the July 2 presidential election result, which gave his
rival Felipe Calderon a razor-thin victory.
Lopez Obrador claims fraud robbed him of victory and demanded a
recount of the votes. A court-ordered partial recount still gave
Calderon of the National Action Party (PAN) a 0.57 percentage point
margin over Lopez Obrador. The Federal Electoral Tribunal has to
declare a president-elect or annul the election.
Agents from the presidential guard have set up a ring of
two-meter high fence, enclosing an area of 500 square meters.
Visitors and workers have to pass through at least five checkpoints
to reach the auditorium where President Fox will make his
speech.
Luis Ernesto Derbez Bautista, Mexico's secretary of Foreign
Relations, made a public speech to legislators from the Democratic
Revolution Party (PRD), the largest party of the Coalition, asking
for a "mature and civilized attitude," saying that the ceremony
would be seen worldwide.
Some 800 people will attend the event, including lawmakers,
cabinet ministers, diplomats, ministers of religion, party leaders,
governors, media owners and Jose Luis Soberanes, the president of
Mexico's human rights commission.
(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2006)
