Mexico approves electoral reform that the opposition calls democracy an “attack”

The Senate of Mexico approved this Wednesday a controversial reform of the president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador that reduces the size and budget of the electoral body and that the opposition dismisses as “attempt” against democracy in the face of 2024 presidential.

The initiative, which had already received the green light from the Chamber of Deputieswas approved by 72 senators from the ruling Morena party and its allies, after which it will be sent to the Executive for publication, the Legislature reported.

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The regulation, which received 50 votes against, reduces the payroll and the budget of the National Electoral Institute (INE), which organizes the elections and which López Obrador accuses of being onerous and of having tolerated fraud in the past.

The opposition considers that these cuts will affect the autonomy of the body, which will also see its powers to punish politicians for electoral violations limited, for example in relation to government propaganda in times of proselytism.

The senator Felix Salgadofrom Morena, said that the opposition is resisting an end to the “privileges” and to “waste” from the INE, which he pointed out to have endorsed “state fraud”.

The opposition bench announced that it will demand the articles before the Supreme Court of Justicealso considering that it would give advantages to the leftist government in the general elections scheduled for mid-2024.

He has 30 days to do so, although in fact the court had already ordered the suspension of the application of other electoral reforms, previously approved by the ruling bloc, in the next two state elections, to be held this year.

This reform “it threatens democracy and is the path to authoritarianism (…). It is in the Court where this historical violation of our Constitution will be resolved”, he warned Josefina Vazquez Motasenator of National Action Party (PAN, right) and former presidential candidate.

opposition protest

The debate this Wednesday was marked by references to the former Secretary of Security Genaro Garcia Lunafound guilty of drug trafficking on Tuesday in USAand for demands that the former president also be arrested and prosecuted Felipe Calderon (2006-2012), of the PAN.

López Obrador’s initiative modifies secondary laws and has been called “Plan B”, after last year the ruling party failed in its attempt to approve a proposal that modified the Constitution, but that required the vote of two thirds of Congress.

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The opposition has called a demonstration in Mexico City and other towns next Sunday to protest against this electoral reform under the slogan #MiVotoNoSeToca.

On November 13, when the constitutional reform proposal was being discussed, a massive opposition protest was held in Mexico City.

López Obrador, whose popularity is around 60% and lacks legal possibilities to run for re-election, responded with another march on November 27, with his supporters filling the streets of the center of the capital.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.