Election too close to call; final result will take days

Leftist López Obrador and conservative Calderón both claim victory
By S. Lynne Walker
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
July 3, 2006
Photo by SEAN M. HAFFEY / Union-Tribune

MEXICO CITY – Mexico's presidential election was so close last night that the winner may not be known for days, but that did not stop the two main candidates from claiming victory.

Five hours after the polls closed, Federal Electoral Institute President Luis Carlos Ugalde stunned the nation with the news that the votes must be counted district by district, a process that will start Wednesday and will not be completed until every vote is counted.

Wary that the waiting period could spark unrest, Ugalde warned political parties that “any manifestation of victory should wait. Respect the time that the IFE needs,” he urged, using the initials for his agency.

But the main candidates, who have been locked in a bitter fight for the presidency, immediately erupted into a chorus of victory speeches as they struggled to convince voters they had won the tightest race in the country's history.