Wait begins in Mexico
TEXT OF STORY
MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: For the past two years, Mexico has been embroiled in a contentious presidential election. It all came down to Sunday, when a winner would finally be announced. It turns out the race is a dead heat and a winner won’t be announced for days. From the Americas Desk at WLRN, Marketplace’s Dan Grech reports from Mexico.
DAN GRECH: At 11 p.m. last night Mexico’s top electoral official, Luis Carlos Ugalde, appeared on national TV. He was expected to announce who had won Mexico’s presidential election.
[ LUIS CARLOS UGALDE: “El margin de diferencia entre el primero y segundo lugar es muy estrecho, y por tanto no es posible anunciar, en este momento, a un candidate ganador.” ]
Instead Ugalde said the election was too close to call.
Leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and conservative Felipe Calderon are neck and neck. A divided nation will have to wait until at least Wednesday to know its next president.
Alfonso Galindo is a political consultant in Mexico City.
ALFONSO GALINDO:“So basically we have two extremes. Mr. Lopez Obrador is definitely more on the side of government intervention in the economy. And on the other side I think that Mr. Calderon is more on the side of free market.”
On a day of uncertainty, one thing was clear: Whoever is the next president will face a divided Congress. That will make it difficult for either candidate to implement his proposed reforms.
In Mexico City, I’m Dan Grech for Marketplace.
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