Mexico Affirms Pena Nieto Presidential Election Win

Jose Alejandro Luna Ramos (R), president of the Federal Electoral Tribunal (TRIFE), talks to magistrate Flavio Galvan during a public session in Mexico City August 31, 2012. Mexico's electoral tribunal officially named Enrique Pena Nieto as president-elec

Mexico's highest electoral authority has declared Enrique Pena Nieto the winner of the country's July 1 presidential election.

The Federal Electoral Tribunal rejected an appeal from leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has accused Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, of buying millions of votes with bribes and gift cards distributed ahead of the polls.

Final vote tallies showed Pena Nieto winning the July polls by nearly seven percentage points.

The tribunal also dismissed claims that the PRI exceeded campaign spending limits.

The ruling clears the way for Pena Nieto to begin his six-year term December 1. He succeeds outgoing President Felipe Calderon.

Electoral court judge Flavio Galvan Rivera characterized Lopez Obrador's complaints as unfounded and said the majority were "vague, generic and imprecise." He said there is "no proof of vote buying, there is no proof of coercion."

In 2006, Lopez Obrador demanded a recount after losing the presidency to Felipe Calderon by slightly more than half a percentage point. His requests were refused, triggering protests by the candidate's supporters that choked Mexico City for weeks.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.