Calderon

MEXICO CITY (AP):

A majority of Mexico's seven electoral magistrates expressed support yesterday for declaring ruling party candidate Felipe Calderon president-elect, ensuring the court will certify Felipe Calderon's slim lead in the hotly contested election.

The seven magistrates were expected to unanimously approve a draft ruling that gave a final official vote count trimming Calderon's 240,000-vote advantage to 233,831 votes out of 41.6 million cast. Judge Alfonsina Berta Navarro Hidalgo said the court found evidence of problems, but not enough to annul the election.

"There are no perfect elections," she said.

Calderon's rival, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has already vowed to ignore the decision, and dozens of his supporters gathered outside the court greeted its decision with fireworks that shook the tribunal. Others wept inconsolably.

"This has been fraudulent from start to finish. Today, nothing will be decided," said Claudio Martinez, 23.

Yesterday's long-awaited ruling by the Federal Electoral Tribunal, which comes two months, three days, and tens of thousands of pages of legal challenges after voters cast their ballots.