Sunday, July 16, 2006
Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe
AMLO chatting with a few friends in the Zocalo (from The PRD site; Jornada removed its photo, so this was revised 7/17.)
See any blue or white purses?
The secretary of the Governor of Mexico (DF), Ricardo Ruiz Suárez said a million people showed up for the demo. Which was peaceful.
The text of AMLO's speech was, in my own paraphrase:
From my heart, I thank you, who have come from every part of Mexico, paying your way, knowing that this effort is not in vain. Rather, we're defending a cause of historical importance for Mexico.
You are not here merely to support one person, but to defend the inalienable right of a free people to choice those who represent it. Yes, we want to defend our electoral victory. But more important, we seek a higher cause, of making democracy have substance and meaning in our country.
We cannot go back. A high price was paid to get us this far, a price that included the lives of thousands of Mexicans murdered in in the cause of free and clean elections. It is an intolerable abuse that criminality, money, and dirty tricks can permit the privileged few to impose an illegitimate president.
In addition to the divisive attitude of the IFE during the campaign, computer manipulation, and many other wrongs--in addition to those, they falsified the precinct tallies and the calculations of the vote. In the recount completed so far, in 60 percent of the 130,788 precinct tallies, there were "arithmetic errors." There are 1.5 million votes not supported by ballots.
I call on Calderon to behave responsibly and accept a full ballot review. If that supports his election, he has nothing to fear. But I urge him to consider that not all the water in the oceans can erase the blot of a fraudulent election. I repeat: it is not acceptable for our opponents to take refuge in legaloid arguments, through lack of time or technical nature prevent the opening of ballot boxes, not when what is at issue is democracy and the nation's political stability.
For many good an sufficient reasons--for political and economic stability, for rejecting the culture of cynicism, for strengthening civic society, for reconciliation-- count the ballots: vote by vote, precinct by precinct.
Friends:
1. Reinforce those sitting in at the district councils, to prevent ballots from being added or subtracted.
2. Peaceful civic action begins at the end of this week
3. The third march will be July 30th.
I will not betray the Mexican people. I am not alone, because we are in this battle together.
___________________
If Mexico doesn't want him as a president, the US sure could use him. I'd be willing to run Schwarzenegger against him.
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