AMLO to submit electoral reform to the Mexican Congress

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will send his constitutional reform initiative on electoral matters to the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday. Among other things, the proposal seeks to reduce the costs of the country's democratic system by eliminating plurinominal legislators, as well as the creation of the National Institute of Elections and Consultations.

La reforma a la ley electoral es para garantizar democracia y hacer valer las decisiones del pueblo. https://t.co/huxE8jQBmn

— Andrés Manuel (@lopezobrador_) April 28, 2022

"We are going to announce the proposal for constitutional reform in matters of democracy: the electoral reform, which will be sent today [Thursday] to Congress. Today our proposal is being sent to Congress so that it can be analyzed, debated, and, if necessary, approved. We are going to present this proposal," AMLO said in a press conference.

The National Institute of Elections and Consultations would replace the current National Electoral Institute (INE). The move implies the dismantling of the Local Public Bodies—the entities in charge of organizing the electoral processes in each Mexican state— and a reduction of public funding to political parties.

La nueva institución estaría formada por siete consejeros electorales (el INE actualmente se compone de 11), los cuales serían electos mediante el voto directo de la ciudadanía. propone que sólo haya 96 curules, de las 128 que existen en la actualidad. 

The new institution would be formed by seven electoral councilors (INE is currently composed of 11), who would be elected by direct vote of the citizens. 

The bill also proposes to reduce the Chamber of Deputies from the current 500 legislators to 300. Similarly, the Chamber of Senators will have only 96 seats, compared to the current 128. In both cases, plurinominal legislators would be eliminated—those who are elected on the basis of the number of votes obtained by their political party in the last federal elections.

Likewise, the number of local deputies in state congresses would be reduced. Finally, the reform considers the implementation of electronic voting in all regions of Mexico with internet access, while in places without connectivity, ballot boxes with paper ballots will continue to be used.

The Mexican President estimated that the proposed modifications could save up to 24 billion Mexican pesos (1.167 billion dollars) in the organization of elections in the country.

"I do not believe that there is another country in the world with more electoral frauds than Mexico, with more impositions, with lack of democracy, with the predominance of single parties, with power mafias dominating the country and vested interest groups that command and decide, that went to the extreme of subordinating all public powers. In practice, I have said it: there was no democracy," the president added.

On Sunday, the opposition parties announced that, similar to the energy reform initiative, they will not support the changes in electoral matters either. In general, its members consider that the initiative seeks to weaken the INE and eliminate political plurality in Mexico.

However, AMLO claimed that each political party must assume responsibility for the position it decides to take. Morena, the party founded by the Mexican president, will accuse the legislators who opposed the energy reform with the crime of treason.