Leftist 'AMLO' wins Mexico polls with 49% vote: Official projection
Anti-establishment leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador swept to victory in Mexico's Presidential election today with 49% vote, in a political sea change driven by voters' anger over corruption and violence. According to exit-polls, the sharp-tongued politician known as "AMLO" won by a large margin over his two main rivals laying to rest concerns that a deeply-divided country could face prolonged uncertainty over the winner.
AMLO will be Mexico's first leftist President in recent history
Runnerup Ricardo Anaya of conservative National Action Party (PAN) and third-place candidate Jose Antonio Meade of ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) both congratulated Lopez Obrador. It is a significant shift in Mexican politics: the PRI and PAN have governed for nearly a century, and Lopez Obrador will be the country's first leftist president in recent history when he takes office on December 1.
Three polling firms predicted win for 'AMLO'
Three polling firms gave the former Mexico City mayor the win. Newspaper El Financiero's exit poll gave him 49% of the vote, 27% for Anaya, and 18% for Meade. Polling firms Mitofsky and the Strategic Communications Cabinet announced broadly similar results.
AMLO promised a 'peaceful transformation' of the country
Lopez Obrador, 64, successfully tapped voters' anger over a seemingly never-ending series of corruption scandals and horrific violence that saw a record 25,000 murders last year, an orgy of bloodshed fueled by the country's powerful drug cartels. Casting his ballot early Sunday at his polling station in Mexico City's Tlalpan district, he called the elections "historic" and promised a "peaceful transformation" of the country.
Lopez Obrador's coalition will have majority in lower house, Senate
Lopez Obrador's coalition, led by the Morena party he launched in 2014, appeared to be on track for a strong showing in state and congressional races as well, winning six of the day's nine governor's races, according to exit polls. Lopez Obrador's coalition will have a majority in the lower house, and possibly in the Senate as well, according to the firm's exit polls.
President will face big challenge to deliver his promises: Experts
After a campaign of lofty but vague promises, the new president will now face a big challenge to deliver, said political analyst Jose Antonio Crespo, adding that he'll have Congress's support and a great deal of legitimacy, but things don't change magically.
Election campaign was blood-stained; 145 politicians murdered
In a country awash in violence, the election campaign has been the most blood-stained in Mexican history: 145 politicians have been murdered since September. Most of the murders have been of local politicians, the most frequent targets for drug cartels seeking corrupt officials they can strike alliances with. But Mexicans are deeply divided over Lopez Obrador, who was making his third presidential bid.
Obrador may pursue Venezuela-style socialist policies, warns critics
Lopez Obrador has clashed with Mexico's business community, with some critics warning he would pursue Venezuela-style socialist policies that could wreck Latin America's second-largest economy. Seeking to soothe, he has recruited a team of market-friendly advisers and backpedaled on his most controversial proposals, including reversing outgoing President Enrique Pena Nieto's landmark energy reform, which privatized the oil sector.
