Politics: The game plan behind the current political reform proposals and what comes next
After President López Obrador presented his constitutional reform proposals in election-related matters, ostensibly to “put an end to fraud” and assure that “elections are clean and free,” the opposition PRI and PAN parties insisted emphatically that the proposed measures would not pass as they constitute a threat to democracy. Among administration critics and opposition parties a consensus has emerged that the administration’s electoral reform proposal is primarily designed to ensure official control over electoral authorities. Making sure that those organizing and arbitrating the election process support the current government is an indispensable precondition for Morena's being able to emerge victorious and guarantee that it can fend off any legal challenges against the results of the sort of competitive and dirty contest the June 2024 presidential vote is shaping up to be.
Despite the democratic system's functionality, AMLO placed the issue on his agenda using an idea that has been popular for quite some time: that democracy in Mexico has become too expensive. Based on that argument, he calls for scaling back the public funding of parties, dismantling local election boards and reducing the number of INE board members, electoral court judges and members of Congress. The extent to which politics has become discredited and the generalized perception that all politicians are corrupt makes the presidential proposal to cheapen democracy all the more appealing. The PAN and PRI have put forward reform proposals of their own, and there are many points on which there is overlap between theirs and the administration’s proposal. Now we will have to see if the opposition can hold its ground or might fall into the trap of trying to arrive at a consensus proposal that would afford AMLO the changes he most desires.
Even if the opposition should ultimately decide to reject the president’s proposal, AMLO has a number of options for trying to change the legal framework or bias the electoral process in Morena’s favor. However, many questions remain as to how this might play out between now and next May, the latest time that a reform could apply to the crucial 2024 elections.
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