Mexico’s leftist candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador has won the country’s presidential election.
López Obrador, 64, won the election with around 53 percent of the vote according to exit polls and a “quick count” of the ballots. Obrador was projected to win the election before the election.
Conservative candidate, Ricardo Anaya receives 22.8% while Jose Antonio Meade from the PRI received 16.3%
In his acceptance speech, the leftist candidate said: “I call on all Mexicans to reconciliation, and to put above their personal interests, however legitimate, the greater interest, the general interest,
“The state will cease to be a committee at the service of a minority and will represent all Mexicans, rich and poor, those who live in the country and in the city, migrants, believers and nonbelievers, to people of all philosophies and sexual preferences.”
López Obrador, commonly referred to by his initials AMLO,during the campaign promised to enact policies to address inequality and the recent high rate of violence in the country. He has also promised to increase spending on social issues, and pension for the elderly and grants for students.
Considering the President’s elect hard stance against Trump during the campiagn, it isn’t clear yet what he would do regarding negotiation of the North American free trade Agreement (NAFTA) which his US counterpart has been very critical of lately.
Trump congratulated him on twitter, tweeting: “very much forward to working with him.”
It isn’t clear yet how the newly elected President will fight corruption, as that was one of the many areas his predecessor failed, Pena Nieto failed.
Pena Nieto, won the election in 2012 and also a reelection and was thought to be a fresh face that would fight corruption and stop the violence that has riddled the country for decades. Yet, his tenure was constantly filled with corruption allegations which resulted in his approval rating getting as low as 17% from a high of 54% when he was elected.