The National Electoral Institute (INE) emerged strengthened from the Mandate Revocation consultation exercise and what follows is to prepare to organize both the 2022 and 2023 state elections, and the 2024 presidential elections, said its president, Lorenzo Córdova Vianello.
In an interview, he commented that the constant political pounding promoted by the federal government against the councilors, with the false argument that this institution was blocking the exercise, the only thing that caused it was that the members of the General Council unite.
In addition, he explained that the decision to suspend the consultation, which at some stage of the process was taken by the General Council of the INE (due to the refusal of the government and Congress to allocate a budget for it) and which led to the Electoral Tribunal and the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, ordered him to carry it out with the money they had, “shielded” the decisions of the institute.
Both instances ordered the INE to carry out the consultation, as long as the institutional functions of the institute were not put at risk, such as ceasing to issue voting credentials; stop legal functions such as auditing; suspend radio and television monitoring or violate labor rights, he detailed.
For the counselor, what is relevant is that there are many lessons to be learned from the Revocation of Mandate process and it is necessary to continue the investigations that may take place and sanction the officials who are shown to have committed an illegality.
Once that mission has been accomplished, he continued, the next challenge is to organize the elections to renew the governorships of Aguascalientes, Durango, Hidalgo, Quintana Roo, Tamaulipas and Oaxaca, this year, where the different tasks flow normally, except in Durango, where they have presented problems because the local congress has not authorized the delivery of the necessary budget for this democratic exercise.
He stressed that people “are pulling with the INE” and proof of this is the response of citizens to participate as polling officials, which reaches 230%, since there have been cases that 287,000 officials are needed and they have accepted around 700,000.
Constitutional reform
The advisor also referred to the intention of the federal government to approve an electoral reform. He said that although everything seems to indicate that there are no conditions to approve the initiative in the terms intended by the president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, what can happen is that the General Law of Political Parties and the General Law of Institutions and Procedures change. Electoral, which, if not done well, can render the institute inoperative.
Specifically, he stated that it would be dangerous to merge the Training and Organization directorates of the INE, with the argument of generating savings, as is the intention.
He explained that although they are two areas that work simultaneously, their task is not the same. One is responsible for tasks such as training and the other to define the boxes, materials, etc. and both are essential.
In addition, if that is combined with another budget reduction, it would place the INE in a delicate situation, facing the elections, both local and the presidential one in 2024. He said that around 23,500 positions of popular election will be renewed that year, where It anticipates there will be a nominal list of around 98 million citizens, when, in 2018, there were 89 million. It will be necessary to install around 173,000 voting booths and prepare one million 800,000 citizens to serve as their officials. In 2018, 150,684 boxes were installed.
On the other hand, the official believed that an electoral reform should preferably be considered before mid-term elections and what, in any case, should be modified is the clause of 8% of overrepresentation of the parties in Congress so that, in the distribution of plurinominal seats, there are no cases like today where MC has more votes, but fewer legislators than other parties.
Election of directors
On the other hand, the president director drew attention to, from today, taking great care in the process to renew the four directors, including him, who will complete their term in April 2023.
Specifically, he explained that the way in which the so-called Technical Selection Committee is integrated is relevant, which will have the task of proposing to the deputies the four quintets from which they will elect the next members of the INE General Council.
He recalled that, in accordance with the law, if the Deputies cannot agree to approve the appointment of these officials with two thirds of the assembly, then they are chosen by raffle, from each of the quintets.
Córdova Vianello informed that the investigation into the financing for the contracting of spectacular advertisements that encouraged participation in the exercise of direct democracy is continuing.
The counselor stressed that once he leaves office, in 2023, he will not be a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic because, in addition to not being his intention, that would serve to prove right to those who today assure that he uses the position to build a candidacy.
They receive almost 200 complaints and reports per consultation
The declaration of results of the Mandate Revocation Process was published yesterday, April 25, in the Official Gazette of the Federation, in which it was detailed that during this process, at the central level, 188 complaints and reports were received.
Of this total, it was specified that 146 were for propaganda contrary to the norm, 17 for violation of Constitutional Article 134, eight more for inconsistencies in the collection of support from citizens and eight more for improper use of the guideline and personal data, among others.
Similarly, the DOF indicated that 159 requests for precautionary measures were received, of which 130 were promoted by political parties, 28 by citizens and one initiated ex officio by the electoral authority.
The document also stated that of these requested precautionary measures, the Technical Unit for Electoral Contentious Matters attended 51 because there was already a statement by the Complaints and Denunciations Commission or because of rejections; Likewise, the Commission attended to 108 requests through 51 precautionary measures agreements.
“Of these agreements, 30 have been challenged, of which 27 were confirmed, one was revoked and two are pending resolution by the Superior Chamber of the TEPJF,” indicated the INE.
On the other hand, it was reported that the Complaints and Denunciations Commission of the National Electoral Institute (INE) declared 18 precautionary measures appropriate against public servants, such as the President of the Republic, heads of state governments and the Mexico City; senate and federal and local councils; holders of various mayors of Mexico City, dependencies and entities of the Government of the Republic, as well as public servants at the federal and local levels.
The foregoing for occupying public resources for the purposes of promotion and propaganda related to the Revocation of Mandate. (Drafting)