THOUSANDS of supporters of the left-wing presidential candidate occupied the centre of Mexico City yesterday, vowing not to leave until their demand for a full recount of the disputed election was met.

Pitching tents and hanging banners in the Mexican capital, they heeded calls to seize the centre by Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who lost the July 2 election by less than 0.6 per cent, raising fears of unrest.

Señor Obrador, beaten by Felipe Calderón, a pro-business candidate of President Fox’s ruling National Action Party, accuses the Government of rigging the poll. But he suggested the possibility of violent protest yesterday for the first time.

At a rally in the main Zócalo square on Sunday, which police said drew 1.2 million people, Señor Obrador, a fiery populist opposed to a free market and a former Mayor of Mexico City, said: “They couldn’t beat us with votes and that’s why they refuse to open the ballot boxes and do a recount. If democratic outlets are closed off, then all that’s left is submission or violence.”

By yesterday morning the protest camps had disrupted the city’s already chaotic rush-hour traffic, with people dancing, singing and playing games in the centre. Police are unlikely to intervene as Mexico City is governed by Señor Obrador’s Democratic Revolution Party.

“They wanted to steal the election from us but we are not giving in,” Magdalena Salazar, a protester, said.

Mexico emerged from 71 years of one-party rule, and decades of fraudulent elections, six years ago. Observers say that the poll was fair, but convincing supporters of Señor Obrador of that is almost impossible.

The Federal Electoral Tribunal has until September 6 to rule on the election. Señor Calderón appeared before the seven-judge panel on Sunday.

“The question is whether we Mexicans are going to resolve our differences with pressure tactics and marches, or with reason and by the law,” he said.

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