Mexico City, July 3 (Xinhua) Mexico's presidential elections were too close to call to and results will not be announced until Wednesday, said electoral authorities, but the two front-runners have both claimed victory in the vote.
'The margin of difference is too narrow. It is not possible to announce which candidate won,' said Luis Ugalde, president of the Federal Electoral Institute, hours after voting concluded Sunday.
Ugalde said the outcome would not be announced until the vote count is completed.
The remarks were made after the leftist anti-poverty campaigner, former Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and conservative Felipe Calderon of the ruling party were reported to be running neck and neck.
However, both Obrador of the Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD), and Calderon of the ruling National Action Party, have claimed victory.
'According to our data, we have won the vote by at least 500,000 votes. This is irreversible,' Obrador told supporters.
Meanwhile, Calderon also claimed to have won the elections.
The extremely close vote raised fears of a political crisis in case any of the main candidates challenged the results and called for street protests.
© 2006 Xinhua |