April 10, 2006

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Scan) - Public backing for former Mexico City mayor Andrés Manuel López Obrador dropped this month in Mexico, according to a poll by Milenio. 34 per cent of respondents would vote for the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) candidate in this year's presidential election.

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Public backing for former Mexico City mayor Andrés Manuel López Obrador dropped this month in Mexico, according to a poll by Milenio. 34 per cent of respondents would vote for the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) candidate in this year's presidential election.

Former energy secretary Felipe Calderón of the governing National Action Party (PAN) and former Tabasco governor Roberto Madrazo of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) are tied with 31 per cent. Patricia Mercado of the Social-Democratic and Peasant Alternative Party (PASC) and Roberto Campa of the New Alliance Party (PNA) are also contending.

Support for López Obrador fell by four points since March, while backing for Calderón and Madrazo increased by one point and two points respectively.

The PAN's Vicente Fox ended 71 years of uninterrupted rule by the PRI in the 2000 election, winning a six-year term with 42.5 per cent of the vote.

Earlier this month, Calderón offered to scrap the highly unpopular vehicle tax. López Obrador dismissed the idea, saying, "State governors will not be willing to lose the revenue generated by this tax. Also, Fox offered to scrap this same tax six years ago, and did not deliver."

The Mexican presidential election is scheduled for Jul. 2.

Polling Data

Which of these candidates would you vote for in the 2006 presidential election?

	Apr. 2006	Mar. 2006	Feb. 2006
Andrés Manuel López Obrador (PRD)	34%	38%	36%
Felipe Calderón (PAN)	31%	30%	31%
Roberto Madrazo (PRI)	31%	29%	31%

Source: Milenio
Methodology: Interviews with 1,542 Mexican adults, conducted from Mar. 30 to Apr. 3, 2006. Margin of error is 2.6 per cent.