Claims Fly as Mexico Awaits Vote Returns

Politicians jockeyed for position Saturday in anticipation of the release of final returns in Mexico’s presidential election, and all contenders, including the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, challenged some part of the vote count.

Maneuvering was intense. In the past, controversies over election results in Mexico have often been settled by a process called a componenda --back-room negotiations in which political offices are traded in return for peace and quiet.

But the PRI, as the ruling party is known, suffered unprecedented reverses at the ballot box this time, according to still incomplete returns, and its officials seem to be in no mood to horse trade. The main opposition parties, confident after a strong showing, are pressing their claims to the presidency rather than discussing a lesser settlement.

Conservatives March

On Saturday, conservative candidate Manuel J. Clouthier organized a march of thousands of supporters in downtown Mexico City in what may be the first round of a series of demonstrations to press his view that the PRI stole the vote.

PRI candidate Carlos Salinas de Gortari has declared himself the winner, and Saturday, the government released new partial results that gave him nearly 49% of the vote in tallies from more than a third of Mexico’s 55,000 precincts.

Leftist candidate Cuauhtemoc Cardenas was shown to be winning 27% of the vote; Clouthier’s total reached 19%.

Privately, high government officials are saying that Salinas’ total could reach 55% or more when the final results are in.

In answer to charges of fraud, PRI President Jorge de la Vega promised to “defend its (the PRI’s) legal and unquestionable triumph with all the weapons of the law.” His statement was seen as a sign that from the PRI’s point of view, there is little to negotiate with the opposition.

In a surprising move, PRI representatives in the capital called for a recount of votes in Mexico City. It was not clear whether that move was sour grapes or an effort to frighten the opposition--which apparently has done remarkably well in the capital--into dropping demands for recounts elsewhere.