What President López presented on the morning of April 28 is an electoral counter-reform that, if applied, would return us to a Mexico that many believed had been overcome. He also presents him in his entire body as the archaic PRI authoritarian that deep down he is.
Some might be surprised that Horacio Duarte and Pablo Gómez have been in charge of presenting this counter-reform, especially because as legislators and politicians they fought many times for the autonomy of the IFE-INE, clean elections and greater equality in electoral competitions. It would not be an exaggeration to say that, to a large extent, the country’s electoral design is the product of their efforts. Deep down, AMLO humiliated them by asking them to present the proposal and they accepted, denying their past. However, their attitude is understandable, a good part of the left “converted” to (bourgeois) democracy with the aspiration of achieving power, once achieved, the institutions and electoral laws are expendable. Democrats in opposition, authoritarians in power, a well-known story.
The presidential proposal has two things that make it attractive: first, it matches the anger of many social sectors that do not understand the reason for the cartloads of money to the parties or multi-member legislators, whom they suppose to be lazy, corrupt, abusive and bad representatives of that thing called “people”. They don’t understand why we need them. Secondly, it represents the possibility of saving a large amount of money, which can be used for social spending (clientelism). Many well-intentioned people have spoken out in favor of both, including people who do not sympathize with the president.
With these two elements (punishment of the political class and savings) López Obrador is developing a convincing narrative. Those who oppose it will be in favor of continuing the regime of privileges and excessive expenses. What can a political class made up of the PAN, PRI, PRD and MC answer to this, which has shown all sorts of abuses and errors? Very little. We have a first class electoral system in an unequal, impoverished and annoying society.
It is said that the presidential proposal will not be approved by Congress, that it is only a smoke screen. I personally don’t think so. Whether approved or not will be one of the issues that the president and his party will use in state election campaigns. The pressure on the opposition parties will be greater than with the electricity reform. Although his electoral proposal is not approved, President López has long ago made clear what his intention is: to extinguish the INE, annul the opposition parties through the budget and concentrate greater power. We will see how next year the INE budget for 2023 will be cut in the Chamber of Deputies. One way or another, they will try to extinguish the Institute.
Formally, the presidential proposal has the objective of returning democracy “to the people” and to ensure that there are no traps ever again. Additionally, it is presented as a way to lower the electoral cost. In reality, the initiative in question does not resolve any of the core issues.
For example, regarding the selection of counselors and magistrates, now determined by quotas to the parties in Congress, the proposal offers an open election among 60 contenders. The 40 corresponding to the Executive and the Legislative will be to the taste of MORENA and obedient to her designs. Of the 20 of the Judicial Power, at least one part will be proposed by the ministers close to AMLO. The most popular and predictably close to the government project will win. We will have counselors and magistrates with dubious impartiality and questionable preparation. Close to town? No, close to presidential power.
The reduction of plurinominals and positions in congresses and city councils will kill diversity and plurality and will guarantee the party in power hegemony at the national level. The dream of the old PRI revived. The reduction in the cost of the elections and the apparatus is necessary to do, but with technical skill, not political. López Obrador’s proposal is nothing more than a crude pruning that will turn the new institute into a secretary of state in charge of surveys and consultations at the service of power. It will be saved in elections and parties, but that money will be lost in the opacity that characterizes this government.
The opposition parties will do well to reject the initiative, but it is necessary to go out to the media and the streets with experts in electoral law and election design and fully explain the omissions and errors in the proposal. In short, explain why you will vote against. Your survival is at stake.