Tens of thousands of Mexicans marched Sunday to support Mexico City mayor who faces legal challenges that could knock him out of the 2006 presidential elections.

Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a leading contender in the 2006 race, would be banned from running if he were found guilty ofdefying a court order to stop road works on a stretch of land expropriated by the city in 2000.

He has also launched some ambitious roadwork programs and has won support in the capital city by implementing welfare programs and building public works to reduce long-time traffic congestion. But critics said his free-spending style has caused the city's debt to balloon.

During the rally, protesters brought in by hundreds of buses from nearby states mingled with local supporters of the mayor.

Lopez Obrador also joined the march. He said, "We have to recover the best of Mexican history, that's where Mexico's character is."

Source: Xinhua