The Washington Post accused AMLO of threatening Mexico’s democracy with his electoral reform

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The federal president has recognized that the opposition bloc will vote against his proposal so that it is not approved. However, he has reiterated that he has a “Plan B”

Despite the fact that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has reiterated that his electoral reform proposal is for elections in Mexico to be free and fair, the foregoing could represent a threat to the country’s democracy due to the various changes contemplated.

This was announced by the American media, The Washington Post, in its editorial on Tuesday, November 29, in which the intentions of the Chief Executive regarding the modifications that are intended to be made in the National Electoral Institute (INE) to transform it.

“The president’s proposals threaten the independence of the system and, with it, Mexico’s transition from authoritarianism to multiparty democracy that it had so hard to win,” the editorial mentioned, while recalling that it was precisely the INE that legitimized its victory in the 2018 elections.

Among the arguments that the man from Tabasco has given that would justify his intentions in this matter, the elimination of public financing for the ordinary expenses of political parties and the decrease in the number of members in the General Council of the INE, from eleven to seven, stand out. in addition to changing the system of election of directors.

On November 13, a march was held to demonstrate against AMLO's electoral reform (photo: REUTERS/Daniel Becerril)On November 13, a march was held to demonstrate against AMLO’s electoral reform (photo: REUTERS/Daniel Becerril)

Regarding this last point, the Washington Post asserted that it could be a “politicization” . And it is that among the criticisms of the opposition block on the electoral reform, the alleged intention has been mentioned that AMLO would be looking for his party, the National Regeneration Movement (Morena), to remain in power even after concluding his six-year term in 2024.

That is why the US media indicated that this would be imitating the “authoritarian system” of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) that prevailed during the 20th century. Given this scenario, the president of the United States, Joe Biden, is expected to express his position to López Obrador at the North American Leaders Summit, which will be held in January 2023 in Mexico City.

Likewise, mention was made of the mobilization of November 13 that took place in different states of the country on the occasion of the electoral reform. Under the slogan “The INE is not touched” , thousands of citizens took to the streets to reject the electoral body becoming the National Electoral and Consultation Institute (INEC).

Given this, the federal president called for a “counter-demonstration” that took place on November 27 under the justification of the four years he has served in the presidency of Mexico, which was “an evident demonstration of force,” said the president. newspaper mentioned above.

Ignacio Mier reported that the vote on the electoral reform was postponed (Photo: Twitter/@NachoMierV)Ignacio Mier reported that the vote on the electoral reform was postponed (Photo: Twitter/@NachoMierV)

Morena postponed electoral reform vote

Despite the fact that AMLO has acknowledged that his proposal will probably be rejected in the legislature, he has mentioned on several occasions that he has a Plan B that would make changes to the Constitution or electoral law without requiring a qualified majority (two thirds ) to be endorsed.

Given this scenario, the coordinator of the federal deputies of Morena, Ignacio Mier, announced on November 29 that the cherry party chose to postpone the discussion and vote on the electoral reform for a week. “We agreed to ask the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Deputies that said project be addressed next Tuesday,” he reported.

In this way, it will be until December 6 when AMLO’s proposal is discussed. However, Mier denied that it is a strategy to kill time while trying to convince PRI deputies to change their position. The postponement, as was to be expected, was criticized by the opposition bloc, which endorsed its rejection of the electoral reform.