The electoral reform of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was presented this Thursday and today will be sent to the Chamber of Deputies. Behold the substitution of the National Electoral Institute (INE) and the reduction of legislatorsamong other points.
López Obrador asked the Secretary of the Interior, Adán Augusto López, as well as the rest of the working group in charge of configuring the initiative, to detail the project.
Horacio Duarte, current head of the National Customs Agency and member of the group, explained that they would play 18 constitutional articlesof which seven are temporary, seeking to make democracy “cheaper” in Mexico.
The electoral reform will seek to “make democracy cheaper in the country,” says @horacioduarteo. 18 constitutional articles will be touched upon, 7 transitional articles and the first topic would be the substitution of the @INEMexicoinforma. pic.twitter.com/qwJnfw2WKu
– Political Animal (@Pajaropolitico) April 28, 2022
A bit of context: AMLO is going to reduce ‘pluris’, INE spending and form a federalized electoral body
The first issue in the reform is the replacement of the current electoral bodythe INE, to give way to the National Institute of Elections and Consultations.
Derived from this first proposal, there would be a mechanism for appointing directors through popular voteas well as for the magistrates of the Electoral Court of the Judicial Power of the Federation (TEPJF).
In addition, the candidates for these positions would be proposed by the three powers of the Union, and a reduction of advisers: they would go from 11 to seven.
Duarte also mentioned the “federalization of the elections”, with which the disappearance of local public organizations (Oples), as well as the state electoral courts.
Emphasizing the “cheapening of democracy,” the official indicated that the reform raises a reduction in the number of legislators federal and local. In the House, for example, the figure would go from 500 to 300, and in the Senate, from 128 to 96.
Read regarding it: Removing ‘pluris’ as AMLO wants affects balance and gives more power to the dominant party
This limitation would also affect the local Congresses.
“Ranks will be established, minimum 15, maximum 45 local deputies in the various states formed, according to the number of population that each of the federal entities has,” Duarte explained.
With this reduction, the working group in charge of electoral reform calculates that the country would see reflected savings of 24 billion pesosfor other investments at the federal and state levels.
Likewise, the budget directed to the political parties would be modified to guarantee that public financing is given exclusively for electoral campaignsthereby eliminating permanent regular financing.
“(It would be) a mechanism that prevents party bureaucracies from having resources every year, every month, as is currently the case,” Duarte said.
In the campaign period, it is also sought that radio and television time on electoral matters be exclusively for the use of candidates and parties, so that the electoral authorities do not interfere in that space.
With the initiative, it is proposed to incorporate a mechanism so that citizens can access the voting by electronic meansto combat the “dispersion of voting booths” and guarantee the right to vote.
The reform includes a modification in the definition of propaganda governmental“expanding the exceptions so that the authorities can disseminate activities related to public services and those that have to do with informing the electoral processes.”
Influencerism is avoided and the vote is facilitated: AMLO
When questioned regarding whether the elimination of the plurinominal deputies as they are regulated until now would affect the democratic balance, López Obrador assured that it is not planned that there be a dominant party, but that citizens can freely choose their representatives.
“There is no intention that a single party be imposed, what we want is for there to be an authentic and true democracy in the country and for an end to electoral fraud,” he said.
He added that the reform is intended to prevent the parties from “agreeing” to elect the electoral advisers, and that the plurinominal deputies are not elected “by influence.”
Read also: AMLO is going for a “sharp” electoral reform; complete change in the TEPJF and the INE
“What was happening? They were well connected with the party leaders, with the politicians, and they came in as many as they had influence, even the political assistants, family members. Not now, now it’s a vote,” said the president.
The president pointed out that electronic voting seeks to ensure security in the system and facilitate access to voting, “so that it is not used as a pretext” that the polls are in distant places.
Finally, he pointed out that it will be the Congress that will debate his proposal to determine if it is convenient or not. He asked that the discussion be transparent.
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