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Brawl breaks out in Mexico congress
By IOAN GRILLO, Associated Press Writer
41 minutes ago
MEXICO CITY - Leftist lawmakers threw punches and chairs at their conservative colleagues and some tried to block the doors of the congressional chamber Friday just an hour before incoming President Felipe Calderon was to take the oath of office there.
Ruling party lawmakers, chanting "Mexico wants peace," seized the speaker's platform where Calderon was supposed to appear, while leftist opponents blocked most of the chamber's doors.
The brawl was shown on live television across Mexico.
Anticipating Friday's standoff, the conservative Calderon took control of the presidential residence in an unusual midnight ceremony with outgoing President
Vicente Fox, swearing in part of his Cabinet. In that private ceremony, broadcast live from Los Pinos, Fox handed the presidential sash to a military cadet as his term ended at midnight.
That left experts on Mexico's constitution puzzled over whether Mexico had a president or not Friday morning.
In the midnight broadcast, Calderon called on Mexicans to leave behind the divisions that have dogged him and the country since the disputed July 2 elections.
"I am not unaware of the complexity of the political times we are living through, nor of our differences," he said. "But I am convinced that we today we should put an end to our disagreements and from there, start a new stage whose only aim would be to place the interests of the nation above our differences."
The leftist Democratic Revolution Party — whose candidate, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, narrowly lost the presidency to Calderon — massed thousands of supporters nearby in the capital's main Zocalo plaza, and thousands of riot police surrounded Congress to block them from moving in.
Lopez Obrador, refusing to recognize Calderon's victory, has set up a parallel government of sorts and declared himself "legitimate president" of Mexico.
"This shows once again the violence of the PRD," said the ruling party's Senate leader, Santiago Creel, who expressed confidence that Calderon would still be able to complete the constitutional ritual.
While Fox argues that Calderon automatically became president at midnight Thursday, some constitutional experts say Calderon must first be sworn in, leaving confusion about who was in charge of Mexico for roughly nine hours. The constitution states that Fox's last day in office was Thursday.
Even Creel, interviewed on television inside the chamber Friday, was left talking about "the two presidents of Mexico."
Creel was referring to Fox and Calderon — not Lopez Obrador.
Lopez Obrador, who was expected to appear before thousands of supporters in the Zocalo, was unlikely to get anywhere near Congress, ringed by several layers of 10-foot-high steel barriers and thousands of riot police. But conditions inside the building were even more chaotic.
Democratic Revolution and ruling party legislators had camped out in the huge Congressional chamber since Tuesday, wrestling and shoving for control of parts of the stage and later camping out with pillows, blankets and pizza.
Fox had previously said he would go to Congress with Calderon to hand over the presidential sash, but Democratic Revolution has objected to his presence, accusing the former leader of throwing the elections to Calderon. The midnight ceremony meant there was little reason for Fox to attend, although Creel said he was still welcome.
It appeared unlikely that visiting foreign dignitaries, including former President George H. W. Bush and California Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, would attend the congressional ceremony.
Instead, Calderon's office prepared a third ceremony — at the massive and heavily guarded National Auditorium on the other side of Mexico City, in which he planned to address the nation. He then planned to go to an adjacent military parade ground where army commanders will swear allegiance to the elected head of state, symbolizing the military's tradition of staying out of politics since the 1930s.
41 minutes ago
MEXICO CITY - Leftist lawmakers threw punches and chairs at their conservative colleagues and some tried to block the doors of the congressional chamber Friday just an hour before incoming President Felipe Calderon was to take the oath of office there.
Ruling party lawmakers, chanting "Mexico wants peace," seized the speaker's platform where Calderon was supposed to appear, while leftist opponents blocked most of the chamber's doors.
The brawl was shown on live television across Mexico.
Anticipating Friday's standoff, the conservative Calderon took control of the presidential residence in an unusual midnight ceremony with outgoing President
Vicente Fox, swearing in part of his Cabinet. In that private ceremony, broadcast live from Los Pinos, Fox handed the presidential sash to a military cadet as his term ended at midnight.
That left experts on Mexico's constitution puzzled over whether Mexico had a president or not Friday morning.
In the midnight broadcast, Calderon called on Mexicans to leave behind the divisions that have dogged him and the country since the disputed July 2 elections.
"I am not unaware of the complexity of the political times we are living through, nor of our differences," he said. "But I am convinced that we today we should put an end to our disagreements and from there, start a new stage whose only aim would be to place the interests of the nation above our differences."
The leftist Democratic Revolution Party — whose candidate, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, narrowly lost the presidency to Calderon — massed thousands of supporters nearby in the capital's main Zocalo plaza, and thousands of riot police surrounded Congress to block them from moving in.
Lopez Obrador, refusing to recognize Calderon's victory, has set up a parallel government of sorts and declared himself "legitimate president" of Mexico.
"This shows once again the violence of the PRD," said the ruling party's Senate leader, Santiago Creel, who expressed confidence that Calderon would still be able to complete the constitutional ritual.
While Fox argues that Calderon automatically became president at midnight Thursday, some constitutional experts say Calderon must first be sworn in, leaving confusion about who was in charge of Mexico for roughly nine hours. The constitution states that Fox's last day in office was Thursday.
Even Creel, interviewed on television inside the chamber Friday, was left talking about "the two presidents of Mexico."
Creel was referring to Fox and Calderon — not Lopez Obrador.
Lopez Obrador, who was expected to appear before thousands of supporters in the Zocalo, was unlikely to get anywhere near Congress, ringed by several layers of 10-foot-high steel barriers and thousands of riot police. But conditions inside the building were even more chaotic.
Democratic Revolution and ruling party legislators had camped out in the huge Congressional chamber since Tuesday, wrestling and shoving for control of parts of the stage and later camping out with pillows, blankets and pizza.
Fox had previously said he would go to Congress with Calderon to hand over the presidential sash, but Democratic Revolution has objected to his presence, accusing the former leader of throwing the elections to Calderon. The midnight ceremony meant there was little reason for Fox to attend, although Creel said he was still welcome.
It appeared unlikely that visiting foreign dignitaries, including former President George H. W. Bush and California Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, would attend the congressional ceremony.
Instead, Calderon's office prepared a third ceremony — at the massive and heavily guarded National Auditorium on the other side of Mexico City, in which he planned to address the nation. He then planned to go to an adjacent military parade ground where army commanders will swear allegiance to the elected head of state, symbolizing the military's tradition of staying out of politics since the 1930s.
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