| Break out the sashes. The leftists are coming. |
LEFTIST Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador edged further ahead in Mexico's tight presidential race, and investors' fears that he might cause economic chaos eased when authorities announced a debt deal. A new opinion poll, the third this week, showed Mr Lopez Obrador increasing his lead over conservative rival Felipe Calderon ahead of the July 2 election. While still a close race, the Milenio poll gave anti-poverty crusader Mr Lopez Obrador 35 per cent support, ahead Mr Calderon's 30 per cent. Mr Lopez Obrador's lead had increased from 3 percentage points in a survey two weeks ago. Some polls, including one by US firm Zogby International, say Mr Calderon is more likely to win, but the conservative former energy minister's lead in those surveys has narrowed.As he senses power, Mr Lopez Obrador has gone out of his way to counter critics' claims that he would overspend and take Mexico back to bad old days of currency devaluation, capital flight and mass bankruptcies of the 1980s and 1990s. "How am I going to fulfil my promise to improve families' incomes by 20 per cent?" he said in a television commercial. "Above all I tell you that I will not get the country into debt or raise taxes. It's not necessary."