It is a victory for the President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (known as “AMLO”). On Wednesday, December 22, the Supreme Court ordered the National Electoral Institute (INE) to maintain the referendum that the president wishes to organize on his retention in power.
The Supreme Court has taken on the face of the body in charge of the elections, which had decided Friday to suspend the preparations for the popular consultation by citing the lack of budget, to the anger of AMLO. “These are delaying tactics”, denounced the Head of State, a supporter of referendums and participatory democracy. He had deplored the “So lamentable situation of an electoral body which should promote democracy, and which has decided to obstruct it”.
“Right to decide” to revoke or not the mandate of the president
The Supreme Court considers that the decision of the electoral authority “Endangers the timely exercise of the citizens’ right to decide whether or not to revoke the mandate” of the current president. It was seized by the Chamber of Deputies after the INE decision to suspend preparations for the consultation scheduled for April 10.
Very popular in opinion polls after three years in power, President Lopez Obrador wants a popular consultation on whether or not he will remain at the head of state until the end of his single six-year term in 2024.
Under the terms of the law making it possible to organize this referendum, citizens will be able to request a consultation for the revocation of the presidential mandate, on condition that they have the signatures of at least 3% of registered voters, distributed in at least seventeen states. mexicans.