A look at how the recent recount and opposition movement to Felipe Calderon's presidency in Mexico shows the strength of Mexican democracy.
The new president of Mexico, conservative Felipe Calderon, is beginning to settle into his role as leader of a divided country. Calderon is working on filling his cabinet-level positions, directing national policy and trying to heal the rift that was created during the heated presidential campaign against fiery liberal candidate Andre Manuel Lopez Obrador. However, Calderon's first steps toward bridging Mexican political divides have been aided by the persistent Obrador's decision to stop blockading the capital and start using democratic processes to bring about change. This move alone proves that the much-maligned Mexican political system is capable of putting aside its reputation of graft and corruption for genuine democratic institutions.
Obrador is still insistent that the election was stolen from him, with a sliver of a percentage point standing between himself and the new president. However, he has encouraged his supporters to leave their picket around the capital building and to start developing a grassroots movement to take back the Mexican government in the next presidential election. While the similarity between the Mexican election of 2006 and the American election of 2000 has been highlighted due to an important recount of presidential votes, the similarity ends when one realizes the scale of change that Obrador is proposing. Al Gore and the Democratic Party went back to utilizing the traditional means of acquiring power in America, mainly developing local and state parties that would act as important points of contact for independent and undecided voters. However, Obrador proposes that the Mexican constitution be ripped up with a new, more populist constitution in its place.
While the Mexican democratic processes seen in the recent presidential election pale in comparison to American institutions, the approach of the opposition seems to be on a track that shows mature political thought. Obrador had the numbers to create real problems, especially if any violent confrontations came about. However, the realization that the last fight was lost has led to the desire to begin fighting a new battle. It will be interesting to see how Calderon's presidency is influenced by such a large, albeit vague, opposition and how international policy will be influenced by Calderon's thin mandate.
