Federal court orders the reinstatement of Edmundo Jacobo Molina as executive secretary of the INE

A federal court ordered the reinstatement of Edmund Jacobo Molina as executive secretary of the National Electoral Institute (INE).

The Ninth Collegiate Court in Administrative Matters revoked the refusal of the Twelfth District Court in Administrative Matters, to grant the precautionary measure to Edmundo Jacobo, for which reason it granted the provisional suspension against the application of the seventeenth transitory article of the electoral reform known as “Plan B”, where the modification of the powers of the Executive Secretariat of the INE was ordered and that the person in charge of said position will cease in his functions as of its publication.

Judge Carolina Isabel Alcalá Valenzuela said that the provisional suspension implies leave things the way they were before the issuance of said article in the reform decree known as “Plan B”.

It indicated that if the application continues, it could cause damages to Jacobo Molina, because “the appointment for which he was designated would continue its course without suspension.” He indicated that the decree does not justify the early conclusion of the position of Executive Secretary held by Edmundo Jacobo.

Judges Sergio Urzúa and Edwin Noé García Baeza supported the granting of the provisional suspension. However, the latter did not support the idea that the reform did not justify the early termination, since he considered that it is a matter of the substantive resolution of the matter. Therefore, the magistrates unanimously agreed to withdraw that argument.

Although this provisional suspension allows Edmundo Jacobo to resume his position as Executive Secretary of the INE at this time, an incidental hearing has yet to be held, where the Twelfth District Judge in Administrative Matters, Blanca Lobo Domínguez, could confirm the suspension. or reject it. In the latter case, Edmundo Jacobo would have to leave office again.

In interview with The Economist, Edmundo Jacobo Molina stated that he did not have any “plan B” other than returning to his position. He trusted that the Judiciary would restore him, and ruled out becoming the head of the dozens of INE workers whose employment is also at risk with said reform.

“I have no other plan B. I am at the National Electoral Institute not only because it is my job, but because it is my conviction, it is a cause, it is the cause of democracy for which I have fought for many years, and it has been a It is a privilege for me to occupy that position to strengthen democracy, strengthen our country, and I believe that it is my obligation to fight this arbitrariness for the future of democracy,” he said.

jorge.monroy@eleconomista.mx