Profile: Felipe Calderon

Felipe Calderon, who has been declared president-elect after the closest Mexican election in history, has promised to govern with a firm hand.

Felipe Calderon promised clean hands and firm hands

His victory, confirmed by the Federal Electoral Tribunal after weeks of political and legal wrangling, is all the more surprising as he was initially dismissed as a no-hoper even within the ranks of his National Action Party (PAN).

Short on charisma, and publicly at odds with President Vicente Fox who favoured another candidate to represent their party, Mr Calderon at first appeared unlikely to win.

But he ran an aggressive and at times controversial campaign against his left-wing rival, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who for much of the election race was well ahead in the opinion polls.

His TV adverts linked Mr Lopez Obrador to Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, proclaiming: "Lopez Obrador is a danger to Mexico".

The Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) eventually banned the ad, despite Mr Calderon's claim that the move constituted censorship.

Migration issues

At campaign rallies, Mr Calderon would hold out his open palms, which he said were untainted by corruption and were ready to keep a tight grip on the country.

"Clean hands, firm hands," was his message.

Mr Calderon has pledged an iron-fist approach to crime, with life sentences for kidnappers, a stance that seems to have struck a chord with many voters.

Mr Calderon won over some by no means all Mexicans

He also said he would push for a migration agreement with the US to legalise residency for Mexicans who have lived there for more than three years.

His election is being seen as good news for Washington, bucking the trend towards the Left in recent Latin American elections.

But Mr Calderon has promised not be a pushover with regard to bilateral ties and opposes US proposals to build a wall along the border with Mexico.

Congress

A Harvard educated lawyer, Mr Calderon, 44, found favour with the business community and pledged to continue the free market policies pursued by President Vicente Fox.

But he has also outlined plans to tackle poverty, including the expansion of public health services and the improvement of education in poorer communities.

However, he faces two big challenges - firstly, to stave off mass protests by supporters of his defeated opponent and to win over those Mexicans who did not vote for him and believe he stole the election.

Mr Calderon will also have to work hard to negotiate with a Congress that has the PAN as its biggest party but is short of a majority to push through legislation alone.

A career politician, Mr Calderon served as head of the national development bank, Banobras, under Mr Fox and was energy secretary from 2002 to 2004. He is also a former president of the PAN, the party his father, Luis Calderon Vega, helped to create.

He is married to Margarita Zavala, who was a PAN deputy in the lower house, and has three children.