CIAO DATE: 06/2009
June 2007
Mexico is generally recognized as a country with a stable democracy, yet reactions to the general elections in December 2006 might have surprised many. Reminiscent of the U.S. election in 2000, Presidential candidate Felipe Calderon of the National Action Party beat Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the Institutional Revolutionary Party by a margin of 0.58%. This sparked violence, a hushed swearing in, and fears over the creation of an alternative government. This, years after the outgoing President, Vicente Fox, upset the Institutional Revolutionary Party’s dominance in 2000, when he won the elections for the National Action Party for the fi rst time in 71 years.
Resource link: Elections creating space for greater media participation? Mexico with increased awareness on international TV [PDF] - 72K