A Closer Look at a Close Vote in Mexico
Friday, July 21, 2006; Page A16
Jorge G. Castañeda [op-ed, July 16] wrote that Mexico has had "two full tallies" of its July 2 presidential vote. This is incorrect. Both the initial count on the day of the vote and the so-called "recount" -- which occurred three days later -- were of precinct results, not of the actual ballots. There has been no centralized count of the ballots themselves, as Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who is disputing the precinct tally, is calling for.
GREG GRANDIN
New York
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In all the comment about the "close" Mexican election, observers usually neglect a key fact: Both candidates received less than 36 percent of the vote. President Vicente Fox had 42.5 percent in 2000. This is not democracy.
Virtually all countries with a popularly elected president have a runoff; those that do not should have one. Voters supporting the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, probably would have voted heavily for the leftist candidate, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. But, of course, if both parties had to win 50 percent, then the winning candidate would build a broader coalition and would not have such conflict with the legislature. Then Mexico would make progress.
JERRY F. HOUGH
Arlington
