MEXICO CITY (AP) - Thousands of people flocked to stores on Tuesday to redeem prepaid gift cards that said they were given in advance by the party that won the presidency of Mexico, inflaming the allegations that the election weekend marred by widespread vote buying.
At least a few cardholders were angry, complaining of not receiving as much as promised or that their cards were not working. The neighbors of a shop in a slum on the outskirts of Mexico City, told the unusually large crowd prevented them from doing their daily shopping.
Some people shopping at the store said they were told that the cards will be valid only during the two days after Sunday's election and had hoped to capitalize until Tuesday because the store was packed Monday.
According to Mexican electoral law, voters giving gifts is not a crime unless the gift is conditioned on a particular vote or intent to influence a vote. However, the cost of the gifts must be reported, and can not exceed the limits of campaign spending. Violations are often punished by fines, but generally not considered grounds for annulling an election.
Some of the people in line to use gift cards, said that has to support the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which Enrique Peña Nieto won the presidential election Sunday, according to official preliminary count of votes. Some wore red shirts and baseball caps or bags carried Peña Nieto's name printed in black.
Maria Salazar, a 20-year-old university, was presented with his 70-year-old father, Antonio Salazar, to collect three cards.
"We got the cards in the name of the PRI and Deputy Hector Pedroza (PRI congressional candidate), and they said they had our vote," said Maria Salazar, outside a store while wearing plastic bags full of paper hygienic, oil, rice, crackers and noodles soups.
His father was carrying two shopping bags fuller and your 8-year-old nephew leads to another.
"They said they were worth $ 37.50, but when we got to check out, they were only worth $ 7.50," Salazar said.
She and her father said they were told to submit a photocopy of your voter registration card to get gift cards.
Another woman interviewed outside the store Soriana same also complained that the card was only $ 7.50 in credit.
At least a few cardholders were angry, complaining of not receiving as much as promised or that their cards were not working. The neighbors of a shop in a slum on the outskirts of Mexico City, told the unusually large crowd prevented them from doing their daily shopping.
Some people shopping at the store said they were told that the cards will be valid only during the two days after Sunday's election and had hoped to capitalize until Tuesday because the store was packed Monday.
According to Mexican electoral law, voters giving gifts is not a crime unless the gift is conditioned on a particular vote or intent to influence a vote. However, the cost of the gifts must be reported, and can not exceed the limits of campaign spending. Violations are often punished by fines, but generally not considered grounds for annulling an election.
Some of the people in line to use gift cards, said that has to support the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which Enrique Peña Nieto won the presidential election Sunday, according to official preliminary count of votes. Some wore red shirts and baseball caps or bags carried Peña Nieto's name printed in black.
Maria Salazar, a 20-year-old university, was presented with his 70-year-old father, Antonio Salazar, to collect three cards.
"We got the cards in the name of the PRI and Deputy Hector Pedroza (PRI congressional candidate), and they said they had our vote," said Maria Salazar, outside a store while wearing plastic bags full of paper hygienic, oil, rice, crackers and noodles soups.
His father was carrying two shopping bags fuller and your 8-year-old nephew leads to another.
"They said they were worth $ 37.50, but when we got to check out, they were only worth $ 7.50," Salazar said.
She and her father said they were told to submit a photocopy of your voter registration card to get gift cards.
Another woman interviewed outside the store Soriana same also complained that the card was only $ 7.50 in credit.
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