MEXICO CITY -- It was, in a manner of speaking, the biggest moment of Sunday night's presidential debate in Mexico. 
 
 To mark the debate's start, a stunning, undeniably well-endowed model took the floor, smiling silently and carrying a box with four pieces of paper in it that candidates drew to see who went first. 
 
 The candidates managed a straight face, but at first sight of her, dozens of journalists inside the debate press room at Mexico City's World Trade Center gasped and jeered. 
 
 The woman, identified later as a model and former playmate for Mexican Playboy, Julia Orayen, almost immediately became a trending topic on Twitter. 
 
 Orayen was serving as an edecan, a role that has long been traditional to formal political, business, or entertainment events in Mexico. 
 
 The edecan is a sort of hostess who stands during meetings or parties to help guide or coordinate guests. They are usually attractive young women with long hair who wear sexy dresses and heels, a feature of Mexican public life that some consider a throwback to the culture's more macho tendencies. 
 
 "Who won the debate?" one Twitter user quipped. "Edecan: 93%." 
 
 As photos of the debate's busty model kept abuzz online overnight, analysts and even some of the candidates on Monday morning took the edecan as a topic serious enough to discuss on the morning news radio programs. 
 
 Speaking to host Carmen Aristegui, presidential candidate Josefina Vazquez Mota said she thought Orayen was "very attractive" but that her dress was inappropriate for the generally serious nature of the debate, the first of two organized by the Federal Electoral Institute, or IFE (link in Spanish). 
 
 "The truth is, Carmen, I want to say that suddenly I was surprised, and I [thought], 'Well, what sort of event are we attending here?'" 
 
 Playing defense, a member of the IFE's governing council said that the edecan was hired by an independent production company contracted to organize the debate, but Councilor Alfredo Figueroa would not identify the producer (link in Spanish). 
 
 "We asked the producer that there be no elements of distraction, for a sober dress," Figueroa said. 
 
 Orayen had her own opinion on the matter. The model told W Radio host Brozo -- who wears a clown costume -- that she felt "weird" by the sudden surge of attention. 
 
 "I just got a call to be there, I didn't know what it was going to be about, and much less that it would have such an impact for 30 seconds," Orayen said. 
 
 "The costume ... intrigued me," Brozo replied. 
 
 "I got a call for a white dress. I took many options, and this was the one chosen by me," she said. 
 
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 Image: In a screen shot of Sunday's video feed of the presidential debate in Mexico, model Julia Orayen carries a clear box to each of the candidates. Credit: Twitpic.com, via Twitter ||||| Image caption Julia Orayen and her white dress only appeared for 24 seconds of the debate, but some Mexicans thought she stole the show 
 
 The organisers of Sunday's televised presidential debate in Mexico have apologised because of the revealing dress worn by one of the production assistants. 
 
 The assistant in question is a former glamour model. 
 
 She was handing out cards assigning the speaking order to the candidates. 
 
 Mexico's Electoral Commission said the woman's tight white dress, with its plunging neckline, had distracted attention from important issues. 
 
 "We are sorry about the production error associated with the clothing of one of the assistants during the first presidential debate and want to apologise to the citizens and the candidates for the presidency," a statement released by the Commission said. 
 
 'Outrageous stereotype' 
 
 The Commission said an independent production firm had hired the model, Julia Orayen. 
 
 TV producer Jesus Tapia said he had settled for Ms Orayen because she was considerably shorter than the two other women who had applied for the job. 
 
 "Given the [short] stature of the candidates I chose her," he said. 
 
 He also said that she was what they had been looking for: "A pleasant, young and fresh presence." 
 
 Mr Tapia said the dress had been Ms Orayen's choice, and "in the madness of the moment" it had not been checked. 
 
 Josefina Vazquez Mota, who is bidding to become Mexico's first female president, said the assistant's dress was "not in keeping with the seriousness of the debate". 
 
 Electoral Commission member Lorenzo Cordova said it was deplorable that a stellar event in the electoral process should have been overshadowed by an "outrageous stereotype". 
 
 It was the first TV debate ahead of July's poll pitting the four presidential hopefuls against each other. 
 
 A second debate is set for 10 June.
– A televised Mexican presidential debate looked more like an episode of Wheel of Fortune thanks to a babealicious production assistant's cleavage-baring gown. She was so eye-popping that Mexico's election commission apologized. "We are sorry about the production error associated with the clothing of one of the assistants, and want to apologize to the citizens and candidates," said a commission statement. An independent production company hired the former Playboy playmate—who held a box with paper slips for the candidates to pick from that determined who would go first—and she was allowed to choose her own dress, reports the BBC. In fact, such women are fixtures in many political, entertainment, and business events in Mexico, and are considered a nod to the machismo culture, notes the Los Angeles Times. Known as edecans, they're frequently long-haired, beautiful women in sexy dresses and heels who serve as hostesses. An election commission member blasted the "outrageous stereotype" that overshadowed the presidential debate. The tight-fitting gown was "not in keeping with the seriousness of the debate," added presidential candidate Josefina Vazquez Mota.