By Molly Moore
                  Washington Post Foreign Service
                  Monday, March 22, 1999; Page A13

                  MEXICO CITY, March 21—Trading arms for ballot boxes, Mexico's
                  Zapatista rebels today waged their first nationwide political campaign to
                  muster support for greater rights for the country's minority indigenous
                  populations.

                  At nearly 9,000 polling places, voters cast unofficial, non-binding ballots
                  on whether they believe the Mexican government should give the
                  indigenous population -- among Mexico's most oppressed and
                  impoverished people -- a greater voice in government and a broader range
                  of civil rights. Indians make up about 10 percent of Mexico's population of
                  98.5 million.

                  Voters were also asked their opinions on whether the government should
                  "demilitarize" regions where armed insurgencies or the threat of armed
                  uprisings has led to a large-scale military presence.

                  "This is a way to pressure the government," said Alejandro Andrade, 58, a
                  retired college professor who said he voted in support of the rebel causes
                  at a sidewalk polling table near Mexico City's historic town center. "This is
                  an alternative way to provide a voice to everyone because regular elections
                  are not credible."

                  The outcome of the vote was not in doubt: Informal surveys indicated that
                  for the most part, only those who support the efforts of the Zapatista
                  National Liberation Army (EZLN) bothered to vote. The success of the
                  effort will be judged by the turnout, not the result.

                  Although final tallies were not expected until late tonight or Monday
                  morning, Mexican radio networks reported larger-than-expected turnouts
                  in many areas. Radio affiliates also reported several alleged incidents of
                  soldiers harassing voters in some outlying areas.

                  Ever since their brief, armed uprising in the southern state of Chiapas a little
                  more than five years ago, the Zapatistas -- led by the pipe-smoking
                  Subcomandante Marcos -- have had little success in rallying national
                  support and have gained no leverage in trying to persuade the government
                  to honor the peace accords signed 2 1/2 years ago.

                  Zapatista organizers, who used everything from political rallies to soccer
                  games with masked rebels to publicize today's balloting, said they hoped
                  the nationwide "consultation" would draw attention to their situation and stir
                  the interest of other Mexicans.

                  "We don't want our kids to live as we have been living," a Zapatista
                  organizer who identified himself as Maximo said at a news conference
                  before the vote. "We want a better life, better education, health and jobs.
                  We are not looking for privileges, but just a life like that of every other
                  Mexican. We are asking for equal opportunities in life."

                  The government declined to comment directly on today's informal
                  referendum, and national television all but ignored the event as dozens of
                  guerrilla supporters wearing their trademark black ski masks and
                  handwoven Indian garments fanned out across the country to publicize the
                  voting.

                  But in a show of concern for national and international perceptions of the
                  Zapatistas' publicity efforts, Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo waged a
                  counteroffensive, visiting Chiapas on Thursday to tout government housing
                  programs in the state and dedicating his weekly Saturday radio address to
                  his administration's Chiapas projects.

                  "Never in the history of Chiapas has there been such a rapid advance in the
                  construction of hospitals, clinics and health centers," Zedillo said in his
                  nationally broadcast talk.

                  Even so, the government has been accused of putting many of its new
                  facilities in towns that support the government while withholding aid from
                  communities led by Zapatista sympathizers. Tensions remain high in many
                  communities, with rebel leaders accusing government military forces of
                  harassing their supporters.

                  Just before Christmas 1997, government-supported paramilitary soldiers
                  opened fire on the village of Acteal in the Chiapas highlands, killing 45
                  civilians, most of whom were women and children.

                  The four questions in today's referendum were strongly worded
                  endorsements of Zapatista views. The first question asked: "Do you agree
                  that indigenous peoples should . . . become active parties in the
                  construction of a new Mexico?"

                  One of the Zapatista polling organizers, who identified himself as
                  Alexander, said: "In our communities we don't use the double-standard
                  language of politicians. These are very direct and simple questions for
                  which we hope to get straight answers."
 

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