Leftist Lopez Obrador sworn in as Mexico's new president
Mexico City, Dec 2: Anti-establishment leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador vowed a "deep and radical" change in Mexico as he assumed the country's presidency Saturday, five months after winning a landslide election victory.
The leader, widely known by his initials as "AMLO," took the oath of office and donned the presidential sash before Congress -- where the coalition led by the upstart party he founded four years ago, Morena, now has strong majorities in both houses.
Ending 89 years of government by the same two parties, Lopez Obrador surged to victory in the July 1 elections promising a new approach to issues fuelling widespread outrage: crime, poverty and corruption.
But not everyone is persuaded: critics say the sharp-tongued, silver-haired leader has a radical and authoritarian streak. And despite his promises of business-friendly policies, Mexican stocks and the peso have plunged in recent weeks.
That did not stop Lopez Obrador, 65, from doubling down on his promise of a sweeping "transformation" as he started his six-year term.
"It might seem pretentious or exaggerated to say it, but today is not just the start of a new government. It is the start of a political regime change," he said, the presidential sash newly draped over his dark suit and burgundy tie.
"We will carry out a peaceful and orderly but also deep and radical transformation."
After the traditional swearing-in ceremony, Lopez Obrador climbed in his white Volkswagen Jetta -- his car of choice -- and headed to Mexico City's central square, the Zocalo, for a colourful second ceremony of his own design.
There, indigenous shamans purified him with incense and flowers, and presented him with a symbolic chieftain's staff.
"I reaffirm my commitment not to lie, rob or betray the Mexican people," he said, clutching the long wooden staff.
Jose Angel Mejia, 38, was among the tens of thousands of people who gathered to fete the new president. "It's a historic day, I still can't believe it," he said, raising his eight-year-old son's arm in the air in celebration.
"We're going to have a change at last."
The new president inherits a sticky set of problems from his unpopular predecessor, Enrique Pena Nieto.
They include deeply entrenched corruption, gruesome violence fuelled by the war on drug cartels, and the caravan of 6,000 Central American migrants camped at the US-Mexican border -- not to mention the minefield that diplomacy with Mexico's giant northern neighbour has become under President Donald Trump.
Lopez Obrador, a former protest leader and Mexico City mayor, has been short on specifics regarding his plans for all of the above. What he is promising, first and foremost, is a presidency like no other in Mexican history.
Vowing to lead his anti-corruption, pro-austerity drive by example, he has forsworn the presidential residence, jet and security detail, and cut his own salary by 60 per cent.
In a sign of the times, the sumptuous presidential residence, Los Pinos, was opened to the public Saturday as a cultural center.
Lopez Obrador's inaugural address largely repeated the sweeping but vague promises of his campaign.
He resumed his attempts to soothe the markets with promises of balanced budgets and pro-investment policies.
But he also attacked Mexico's "neoliberal" economic model as "a disaster" and railed against Pena Nieto's landmark privatisation of the energy sector.
Lopez Obrador has caused jitters over the future of Latin America's second-largest economy with decisions such as the one to cancel a new USD 13 billion airport for Mexico City that was already one-third complete.
The day's guest list included a host of regional presidents -- among them crisis-torn Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, who was met with protests from Mexico's conservative opposition.
King Felipe VI of Spain, US Vice President Mike Pence, and first daughter and White House adviser Ivanka Trump also attended.
President Trump, who was at the G20 summit in Argentina, has struck up a surprisingly warm relationship with Lopez Obrador -- though the migrant caravan threatens to interrupt that honeymoon.
The American president is pressuring Lopez Obrador to accept a deal to keep asylum-seeking migrants in Mexico while their claims are processed in the United States.
Lopez Obrador's foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, is due in Washington on Sunday for talks on the issue with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
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SP MPs demand discussion on Sambhal in Parliament, SC-monitored probe
New Delhi (PTI): Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders on Wednesday said they want to discuss the Sambhal issue in Parliament and demanded that any probe into the incidents that led to violence in the Uttar Pradesh town should be conducted under the Supreme Court's monitoring.
"We want a discussion on the incident that happened in Sambhal. Many of our MPs have issued notices to the speaker regarding this. We want to speak on the floor of the House about the inhuman behaviour of police and the administration against people," SP MP Dimple Yadav said.
Four people died and scores, including police personnel, were injured in Sambhal on Sunday after a confrontation erupted over a court-ordered survey of the city's Shahi Jama Masjid in the Kot Garvi area, following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple once stood at the site.
SP MP from Sambhal Zia ur Rahman, who has been named in an FIR for allegedly inciting a mob, claimed that he was not present at the site when the incident took place, and slammed police and the administration for opening fire on citizens.
Asked about him being named in the FIR, Rahman said, "They (BJP) are in power, they can do anything. I was not even present there. I was in Bengaluru and I am being blamed for the riots."
"I am more worried about those killed by police and those who are being tortured. I am more worried about those who are being dragged into this," he said.
"One person fell down after getting hit by a baton and then they fired on him. They are citizens of India, not enemies. This is not a Hindu-Muslim fight. Some anti-social elements were behind it and the rest was done by police and the administration," he said.
Rahman said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should visit Sambhal.
"The prime minister should come forward and go and see the situation. Do not make Sambhal another Manipur," he said.
Rahman blamed the administration for the incidents and demanded a probe monitored by the Supreme Court.
"This was pre-planned by police. They wanted to trigger riots on the first day but I was there, so they did not succeed. Today, INDIA bloc MPs have raised the demand to hold discussions on this issue in the Lok Sabha and a proper investigation monitored by the Supreme Court should be conducted," he said.
SP MP Dharmendra Yadav said people do not have faith in the probe being carried out by the administration.
"The probe into the Sambhal incident should be conducted under the monitoring of a Supreme Court judge, because no one trusts the administration anymore. The administration was behind the whole incident," he said.
Yadav alleged that the violence was orchestrated to divert attention from the malpractices during the recent bypolls in Uttar Pradesh.
"They have done this to distract attention from the malpractices during the bypolls. A petition was filed a day before the polls, the decision taken on the same day, a delegation appointed and even the survey was carried out.
"They said the survey had been completed. Then why did a team visit the place again to conduct another survey? The administration should answer these questions," he said, adding that the SP will continue its struggle for justice.
A magisterial probe into the Sambhal violence is ongoing.
