The senators emphasize in the opinion that there can not be a greater expense in political parties than in scientific, technological and innovation activities.
The Chamber of Senators will reform the Constitution to reduce the excessive and enormous amount of public financing of political parties in Mexico by 50%, which does not correspond to the economic, political and social situation that the country is experiencing.
“The greater the public financing, the greater the risk that the resources will not be applied for the proper purposes of the political parties, but on the contrary they will lose in an interminable political contest. This, without taking into account that an increasing dependence is generated by the political parties towards the resources of the public treasury and ends up becoming a profitable business the creation of new parties without a true political vocation “.
Although the existence of public financing for political parties has strengthened democracy in Mexico, it cites the opinion of the United Commissions on Constitutional Points, Governance, Legislative Studies and Legislative Studies First of the Senate of the Republic held by El Economista, preserving the subsidy in the current terms and percentages would have serious consequences for the democratic system itself since the experience has translated these amounts into incentives for corruption and distorted the role of political parties as public interest entities and citizen organizations that should promote participation .
From the point of view of the senators that make up the advisory commissions that are about to submit to discussion and corresponding approval the aforementioned document -legislative step prior to the plenary session of the Upper House validating the agreed changes-, the excessive amounts in the public financing to the political parties strongly impact the treasury and this situation leads to the disappearance of a true representation of the people in government institutions, as well as generating distrust in society as political forces move away from their problems, needs and ideals.
For fiscal year 2019, according to figures from the National Electoral Institute (INE), the seven political parties with registration will have a total amount of 4,965 million 828,351 pesos.
As a result of ordinary activities, whose total amount amounts to 4,728 million 699,868 pesos, the National Action Party (PAN) will correspond 861 million 398,068 pesos; 811 million 420,068 pesos to the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI); to the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), 396 million 987,946 pesos; 347 million 180, 586 pesos to the Labor Party (PT); the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM), 378 million 990,057 pesos; 365 million 030,158 pesos to Movimiento Ciudadano (MC), and 1,567 million pesos 692,985 pesos to Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (Morena), a political party that brought President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to power.
For specific activities -capacitation, promotion and development of women’s political leadership-, political parties must have 141 million 860,996 pesos, as well as 94 million 573,997 pesos for postal franchise and 693,490 pesos for telegraphic franchise.
The senators emphasize in the opinion that there can not be a greater expense in political parties than in scientific, technological and innovation activities.
And is that the resources allocated to political parties for this year exceed those allocated in 2018 to the System of Public Research Centers of the National Council of Science and Technology (5,788 million pesos), National System of Researchers (5,000 million pesos) of pesos) and the Program of Incentives for Technological Innovation to Increase the Productivity of Companies (1,700 million pesos).
Hence, the Upper Chamber will modify the Constitution with respect to the formula by which public financing is determined, in order to reduce by half the public resources allocated to political parties in Mexico.
The amendment to Article 41 of the Constitution establishes that public funding for the maintenance of the permanent ordinary activities of political parties will be determined annually by multiplying the total number of citizens registered in the electoral roll by 32.5% of the daily value of the Unit of Measure and Update (UMA); currently 65% of said unit of measurement is established.
30% of the amount that results from the operation will be distributed among the political parties in an equal manner and the remaining 70% according to the percentage of votes obtained in the immediate previous election of deputies, provides for the Constitution, an assignment that by agreement of the senators will not suffer any change.
Source: el economista
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