NPR makes false claim about the Mexican election

NPR reporter Lourdes Garcia-Navarro offered a report about Mexico that spoke of a “poisonous atmosphere in Mexico right now” as uncertainty looms over the presidential election between Calderon and Obrador. Garcia-Navarro says Obrador is “prepared to take this all the way,” mourns lame duck Vicente Fox’s last state of the union speech (blocked by protests), and reveals her bias by falsely claiming that Calderon’s PAN has a “majority” in the incoming Mexican congress. Garcia-Navarro has had a “very long, hot summer,” and it’s time for NPR to send in a better reporter as the story continues with, as she says, “one can predict, with almost certainty, a very difficult opposition.” For now, here is the reality as reported by the BBC:
Mexico’s ruling National Action Party (PAN) has become the largest party in Congress for the first time.
But the final results of the 2 July elections, released on Wednesday, saw the party fall short of the outright majority required to govern alone.
The PRD came in second place, ahead of the Institutional Revolutionary Party which governed for more than 70 years.
The PAN and the PRD are involved in a dispute over the outcome of the vote for president held at the same time.
The left-wing candidate, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has challenged the initial result, which found that conservative Felipe Calderon – of the PAN – had won by a margin of less than one percentage point.
The Federal Electoral Tribunal has until the end of August to rule on the legal challenges and until 6 September to name a president-elect.
[photo: NPR.org]

Leave a Reply