The Mexican Parliament approved, Tuesday, September 7, a law to organize a referendum on the continuity of the presidential mandate, according to a press release from the Chamber of Deputies.
The bill, wanted by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, nicknamed “AMLO”, had already been approved by senators on Friday. The National Regeneration Movement (Morena, left), the ruling party, and allied formations have a majority in Parliament.
Under the terms of this law, citizens will be able to request a consultation for the revocation of the presidential mandate, on the condition of having the signatures of at least 3% of the registered voters, distributed in at least seventeen Mexican states. The National Electoral Institute (INE) will be responsible for organizing the consultation.
The question asked in such a referendum will be: “Do you agree that (so and so), President of the United Mexican States, see his mandate revoked for loss of confidence, or that he remain as President of the Republic until its term?” “
A trick “
During the discussion in the Chamber of Deputies, the opposition sought – in vain – to modify the project, to keep only the first part of the question providing for a revocation of the presidential mandate.
The National Action Party (PAN, conservative) considers that this reform is a ” cunning “ to allow “AMLO”, in power since 2018, to be re-elected, even if he has publicly ruled out this possibility on several occasions. The president, leader of the Morena party and elected for a single six-year term, as stipulated in the Constitution, enjoys solid popularity in Mexico.
In July, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard announced, with the president by his side, that he would run for the 2024 presidential election for the ruling party, joining Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, also a protege of “AMLO”, in the list of potential candidates for the presidency.