The Chapala city council wasted no time validating the election of new officials delegated to administrate local government matters in Ajijic, Atotonilquillo, Santa Cruz de la Soledad, San Antonio Tlayacapan and San Nicolas de Ibarra.
The final vote count was ratified at a special council session held Friday, February 8 by unanimous vote, albeit with strenuous objection to the outcome in San Antonio raised by alderman Gerardo Degollado.
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ControversyA February 6 reexamination and recount of San Antonio ballots led to a reverse decision that gave candidate Rosa Maria Lechuga a one vote lead over Miguel Espinoza, the candidate who had been declared the virtual winner on election day by a two vote margin.
The Espinoza camp cried foul, essentially accusing city hall insiders of throwing the election in his rival’s favor. Degollado, the former mayor who lost out to Joaquin Huerta in his bid for a second term, promptly jumped on the bandwagon with Espinoza supporters.
The city council’s discussion on the San Antonio recount turned into a heated debate after a feisty Degollado labeled it as an act of electoral fraud. Huerta bristled, declaring that he had kept his pledge to not interfere in the election process.
Electoral commission president Carlos Soto also countered, reminding Degollado that he had declined the opportunity to serve on the body. He stressed that the recount was fully transparent, with representatives of both campaign camps and the local press present as witnesses.
From there the discourse degenerated into a protracted battle of words over the council’s inner workings, revealing personal animosities and the bitter internecine feuding that apparently goes on behind the scenes.
Finally called to a vote, the councilors gave a thumbs-up to the electoral commission’s findings, with Degollado’s dissent on San Antonio going on the record.
Bruised by the chiding of his fellows, Degollado was already out the door when the new Delegados stepped to take the oath of office. They officially assumed their duties Monday, February 11.
At mid-week Lechuga reported that the dispute over her victory appears to have died down. She says her immediate objective is to lead a clean-up campaign in San Antonio, eradicating litter and weeds from the streets and improving garbage management.