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Subject: Mexican Rebels Declare Success
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 04:24:09 EST
Mexican Rebels Declare Success
.c The Associated Press
By NIKO PRICE
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Desperate for a mandate after years holed up in the
mountains of southern Mexico, Zapatista rebels declared success today in their
efforts to revive dwindling interest in their cause with a referendum on
Indian rights.
The ``national consultation'' held Sunday also was an attempt to pressure the
government into enacting pledges on Indian autonomy made in 1996 peace accords
and still largely unfulfilled.
But the non-binding referendum has little force behind it. With four questions
-- such as one asking whether Indians should be included ``in the national
agenda,'' there was little opposition and the government largely ignored the
vote.
The Zapatistas staged a brief uprising in 1994 in the name of greater rights
for indigenous people. Peace talks have been at a stalemate since the partial
accord was signed in 1996.
Zapatista supporters called the process a victory, estimating that 2.5 million
people cast ballots, at least 95 percent answering ``yes'' to each question.
With about a third of the polling places reporting, between 2 percent and 3
percent of voters gave ``no'' answers, the man in charge of the tabulation,
Enrique Calderon, told a news conference.
``The consultation has been a total success,'' said Calderon, surrounded by
ski-masked rebel representatives, academics and literati at the news
conference early today.
``There were people who had contrary opinions, and those will be taken into
account,'' he said
A rebel representative who identified himself as Maximo accused the army of
blocking rallies during the campaigning and blamed the media for not
adequately covering the voting.
The government also threatened to expel 10 foreigners -- most of them American
-- who an immigration official said were caught voting in southern Chiapas
state, where the rebels are based.
Amid the deadlock in peace talks, neither side seems willing to cede ground.
The Zapatistas have retreated into the Chiapas mountains while the government
has poured tens of thousands of soldiers into the state.
Zapatista supporters hoped the vote would revive interest in their cause and
put pressure on the government.
``If millions of people turn out to support the indigenous people against
racism and militarization, the government must heed the popular demand,'' said
Candido Gutierrez, 66, after voting in downtown Mexico City.
``We can't continue treating Indians like they did 500 years ago.''
AP-NY-03-22-99 0423EST
Copyright 1998 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP
news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise
distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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