Mexican Congress urges governor of Oaxaca to step down

dpa German Press Agency
Published: Monday October 30, 2006

Mexico City- Both houses of on the Mexican Congress on Monday evening called on the governor of Oaxaca, Ulises Ruiz, to step down to clear the way for a solution in the state's conflict. Protestors lead by the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO), a leftwing organization at the centre of a teacher's strike that has paralyzed the city for month, have asked for Ruiz's resignation as one of their chief demands.

Congress, with the support of Ruiz's Institutional Revolutionary Party, urged Ruiz to resign in order to achieve "normalcy and peace."

In May, 70,000 teachers went on strike with the support of APPO and other organizations, seeking pay raises and better working conditions, and occupied central Oaxaca. They demanded that Ruiz resign.

The conflict escalated Friday, when gunbattles left four people dead, including a US photojournalist, leading President Vicente Fox to send in large numbers of federal police over the weekend to quell the violence.

Previous federal government attempts to mediate were unsuccessful. Teachers decided to put an end to their strike and restart lessons on Monday, although the latest clashes led lessons to be cancelled again.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency