Federal deputies declared on Tuesday the start of the discussion on the initiatives that propose a new electoral reform, in a session in which the bloc headed by Morena and the opposition exchanged claims and acknowledged that they still do not have agreements on the deadlines for work or on the method to analyze all the proposals.
In a meeting in which the parliamentary coordinators and the commissions of Political-Electoral Reform, Constitutional Points and Governance participated, it was announced that so far there are more than 100 initiatives, among those that seek to modify the Constitution and those that request changes to regulatory laws.
Ignacio Mier, coordinator of Morena, said in his speech that the country needs a new electoral reform and called to analyze the proposal presented by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Although Mier was backed by lawmakers from parties allied with Morena, such as the PT and the PVEM, from the opposition he faced questions and criticism.
Salvador Caro, of MC, called the call to debate a “farce” and stressed that there is no consensus on possible reforms on this issue.
Luis Espinosa Cházaro, coordinator of the PRD, considered that the country’s electoral system can improve, but maintained that it is not time to make changes and that there is no time to carry them out before the 2024 elections.
Jorge Romero, leader of the PAN, said that his party is willing to talk about electoral reform, but not to support one “given from another power,” in reference to the initiative of President López Obrador.
The PRI, in the voice of its leader Alejandro Moreno, assured that it will not allow modifications that affect the National Electoral Institute (INE) or the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Power of the Federation (TEPJF). “The PRI will not allow any democratic setback,” he said.
López Obrador and Morena propose, among other things, reducing the number of deputies and senators, disappearing local electoral institutes, changing the structure of the INE and reducing the number of councilors.
The president and his party argue that these changes are necessary for Mexican democracy to improve, but the opposition argues that such measures would do just the opposite because they would weaken electoral institutions and affect the fairness of voting.
Read: AMLO presents his electoral reform: he will replace the INE, reduce the number of legislators and reduce funding
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