Yahoo! News Home - Yahoo! - My Yahoo! - News Alerts - Help _________________________________________________________________ Reuters New Media Yahoo! Online Account Access NextCard Internet Visa - Apply Now Home | Top Stories | Business | Tech | Politics | World | Local | Ente rtainment | Sports | Science | Health Oddly Enough Headlines Reuters Tuesday April 10 10:21 AM ET Mexico's Tempest in a Time Change MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - If leftist Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gets his way, the capital could operate in a different time zone from the rest of the country, out of line even with its own suburbs. With the federal government and mayor's office reportedly locking horns this week in legal maneuvers, many Mexicans fear that if Lopez Obrador prevails there would be chaos for airlines, television broadcasts, school schedules and lunch appointments. Lopez Obrador, who took office late last year, in February decreed clocks would stay put in the capital on May 5 when the rest of the country is scheduled to adopt daylight savings time, moving clocks ahead one hour. The capital of some 9 million people, is part of a greater urban area of some 19 million. So the core of the metropolis would be one hour behind all of its suburbs. Lopez Obrador's government has filed a constitutional challenge to daylight savings in general, before the nation's Supreme Court, arguing that the president does not have power under Mexico's constitution to impose the time change. According to local press reports, this week the government of conservative President Vicente Fox counter-sued, asking the nation's top court to knock down Lopez Obrador's February decree. Mexico adopted the time change in 1996, to put the country in tune with its northern neighbor and biggest trading partner, the United States. But daylight savings has never been popular here. Many argue that it is dangerous for children to walk to school in the dark. And last year in congressional debates, at least one legislator argued that darkness inhibited morning sex. The Supreme Court has promised to issue a resolution on the suit and the counter-suit by May 1, just days before Fox has decreed that the country will move clocks ahead. Email this story - View most popular | Formatted version _________________________________________________________________ _________________________ Search Advanced Search: (_) Stories (_) Photos (_) Full Coverage Home | Top Stories | Business | Tech | Politics | World | Local | Ente rtainment | Sports | Science | Health _________________________________________________________________ Questions or Comments Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.