The electoral authority of Mexico put a halt, Friday, December 17, to the referendum project that the Mexican President, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (known as “AMLO”), wanted to organize in April on his stay in power until the end of his term in 2024.
“These are delaying tactics”, warned the left-wing president, follower of popular consultations, during his morning press conference even before the decision of the National Electoral Institute (INE).
By six votes to five, the INE stopped the preparations for this consultation, initially scheduled for April 10, citing a lack of budget. “With the money we have, we simply cannot organize” a popular consultation on the revocation of the presidential mandate, said INE president Lorenzo Cordova. This is only a break in the preparations for the popular consultation and “No suspension”, he insisted. The INE says it will continue to study the signatures it receives in favor of the referendum.
According to the law allowing the organization of a referendum on the continuity of the presidential mandate, 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.
“Democratic exercise”
An association close to power, Que siga la democracia (“Long live democracy”), claims to have collected 3.7 million signatures in favor of this “Democratic exercise”. The association denounces “An attack by INE against democracy in Mexico”. Leaders of the ruling National Regeneration Movement (Morena) have warned that they will appeal to the Federal Electoral Tribunal.
The Mexican president recalled that the Supreme Court had considered that his draft “Revocatory consultation” respected the Constitution. Elected in 2018 for a single six-year term, the president still enjoys a popularity rating of over 60%. Since his election, the former mayor of Mexico City has organized several popular consultations. The last, in August, proposed to sue its five predecessors. The participation rate did not exceed 7.1%. The required quorum is 40%.
The National Action Party (PAN, conservative) considers that this reform is a ” cunning “ to allow “AMLO” to be re-elected, even if it has publicly ruled out several times this possibility.