Monday, February 3, 2014

Mexico Validates Political, Electoral and Related Reforms

Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico

(Part one)

Using the powers vested in me by the Mexican Constitution, I signed the financial reform passed by Congress today (January 31).

Thanks to the Pact for Mexico and the political maturity of the legislators, 2013 was the Year of Reforms. Together, we laid the foundations for transforming Mexico, although there was obviously a need to institutionalize the conditions that make agreements possible.

So, as a result of the Political Electoral Reform, Mexico will have new institutional instruments to facilitate the fundamental changes required by the country in the coming years. Furthermore, certainty in elections will operate at all levels of government, ensure greater accountability, and improve the balance of powers.

As president, I welcome the Political Electoral Reform since it will benefit citizens and because there will be more governments with constitutional instruments to facilitate dialogue and agreements. The Political Electoral Reform is an important step towards the consolidation of democracy in Mexico.

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(Part two)

Presidency of the Republic Staff

The Political Electoral Reform comprises 56 initiatives submitted by various senators from all parliamentary groups proposing amendments and additions to the Mexican Constitution regarding political and electoral issues.

This initiative was approved on December 13, 2013, as a result of which the Reform was ratified by a vote of 18 state legislatures on January 22.

As a result of other initiatives and additions to Constitutional Reform regarding political and electoral issues:

• Constitutional autonomy is granted to the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL).

• The Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) becomes the National Electoral Institute (INE).

• Local public electoral bodies will have a governing body comprised of a president and six electoral advisors.

• Senators will be able to be elected for up to two consecutive terms; and congressional Deputies (Representatives) for up to four consecutive terms, in other words for a maximum of 12 years in both cases consecutively.

• Regarding a Coalition Government, the president is authorized, at any time, to opt for a coalition government with one or more of the political parties represented in Congress.

• A Prosecutor General’s Office is created (replacing the Attorney General’s Office) as an autonomous public body with a legal personality and its own assets.

• Regarding the threshold for political parties, the minimum percentage required to maintain registration as a national political party will be raised from 2% to 3%. Moreover, any political party that achieves at least 3% of the total valid votes cast shall be entitled to multimember deputies. Political parties should ensure gender parity in candidacies for federal and local legislators.

• The starting date of the first regular session when the president takes office will be moved forward from September 1 to August 1.

• The president’s inauguration will be moved forward from December 1 to October 1.

Other topics addressed include: the suspension of guarantees, the system of annulments, the powers of Congress, and the creation of special prosecutors for the Attorney General’s Office (PGR).

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Presidency of the Republic, Mexico, DF, Jan. 31, 2014; translations (2) by Presidency of the Republic