Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Wednesday accused electoral authorities of an attack on democracy after they disqualified a gubernatorial candidate accused of rape, citing his failure to declare campaign expenses.
Lopez Obrador’s support for Felix Salgado Macedonio’s bid for governor of the southern state of Guerrero has sparked angry protests by women in a country where gender violence is widespread.
The country’s electoral tribunal on Tuesday ruled that Lopez Obrador’s Morena party must replace Salgado Macedonio as its candidate due to his failure to report his campaign spending.
Lopez Obrador described the decision as “excessive,” although his party said it would abide by the ruling.
“It’s a blow to democracy, to Mexico’s incipient democracy,” the left-wing populist said at his daily news conference.
“Democracy is respecting the will of the people,” he added.
The tribunal upheld an earlier decision by the National Electoral Institute, which Lopez Obrador accuses of being biased in favor of the opposition ahead of the June national, regional and local elections.
Salgado Macedonio, a 63-year-old former Acapulco mayor, faces accusations from several women over incidents that allegedly took place in 1998, 2014 and 2016.
He has denied the allegations.
Lopez Obrador argues that Salgado Macedonio has the right to be presumed innocent and stand for office in the June elections unless proven guilty.
The Guerrero Attorney General’s Office said on March 1 that it was considering whether there were grounds to prosecute the politician, adding that the 1998 case had already been closed.
Agence France-Presse
Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)
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