The Mexican government on Thursday tightened security around Congress as protesters threatened to hold a rally there when President Vicente Fox delivers his last state of the nation address on Friday morning.

An additional of more than 1,000 personnel from the Federal Preventative Police, the Army and the National Guard will be deployed around the Congress.

Supporters of Coalition for the Good of All threatened to launch a demonstration before the legislature on Friday. The coalition's presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has so far challenged the July 2 presidential election result, which gave his rival Felipe Calderon a razor-thin victory.

Lopez Obrador claims fraud robbed him of victory and demanded a recount of the votes. A court-ordered partial recount still gave Calderon of the National Action Party (PAN) a 0.57 percentage point margin over Lopez Obrador. The Federal Electoral Tribunal has to declare a president-elect or annul the election.

Agents from the presidential guard have set up a ring of two-meter high fence, enclosing an area of 500 square meters. Visitors and workers have to pass through at least five checkpoints to reach the auditorium where President Fox will make his speech.

Luis Ernesto Derbez Bautista, Mexico's secretary of Foreign Relations, made a public speech to legislators from the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), the largest party of the Coalition, asking for a "mature and civilized attitude," saying that the ceremony would be seen worldwide.

Some 800 people will attend the event, including lawmakers, cabinet ministers, diplomats, ministers of religion, party leaders, governors, media owners and Jose Luis Soberanes, the president of Mexico's human rights commission.

(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2006)