The Culture of Peace, the INE and the Electoral Reform

The turbulence of demagogues overthrows democratic governments. Aristotle.

On several occasions we have addressed, from the perspective of the culture of peace, the various conflicts and controversies that, on a daily basis, are generated from the National Palace.

Less than two years after the end of the current government, the president intends to change the electoral rules, a fact that has become a matter of polarization, added to other issues such as the enormous support for the military to replace civil society in activities business, bureaucratic and of practically all kinds; the submission of federal and state legislators to control the chambers of the Congress of the Union and most of those of the states; of the judiciary in addition to the Supreme Court and the autonomous organizations, drastically reducing the allocation of budgetary resources, in addition to the null results of the government’s management. All this with the purpose of concentrating power, even violating the Constitution and the regulatory framework.

On this occasion we address the goal of the president to impose an electoral reform to destroy our democratic system that includes the dismantling of the National Electoral Institute and the Electoral Court of the Judicial Power of the Federation.

We must not forget that in the last decade of the last century we accelerated the transition to democracy in an orderly and concerted manner, the autonomy of the Federal Electoral Institute, today the National Electoral Institute (INE), and freedom of expression were strengthened with the participation of all political forces. It is not acceptable to ignore the fact that the INE is a citizen institution that has been consolidated due to its autonomy granted in the Constitution.

Today, the implementation of fair, equitable, open, transparent and reliable national, federal and local electoral processes, in a legal and peaceful manner, for the renewal of popularly elected positions, which the INE has organized for the last 25 years, is despised. including the electoral process that in 2018 gave victory to the current president, who wants the electoral processes to be organized and controlled by the government, which would make it possible for the president’s movement to remain in power forever, under the pretext of “avoiding more electoral fraud”.

The presidential initiative to reform the Constitution implies, if approved, the destruction of our democracy. His orientation and motives are regressive. This is an affront to our democratic regime. It proposes, among others, the following measures:

• Disappear to the INE to give rise to a national institute of elections and consultations;
• That members of the proposed institute and of the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Power of the Federation be elected by popular vote;
• Control of elections by the federal government, affecting budget management, eliminating autonomy and partisan impartiality;
• The disappearance of opposition parties to convert the official party into a single party and thereby affect the representation and balance of minorities and majorities, and
• A possible prohibition of coalitions, the creation of new political parties and national political associations to end the current opposition.

In addition, the proposed new system:

• It could not be applied in a midterm election to prove it;
• The aforementioned initiative fails to regulate the risks and problems that have already arisen, such as the use of illegal money, the interference of organized crime in the nomination of candidates and to manipulate, with threats, the will of the voters on election days. election days;
• Nor does it address matters relating to transparency in the application of public resources received by the parties, nor
• Regarding effective sanctions for those who systematically violate the law.

As a response from the citizens, an important crusade has been launched to defend the National Electoral Institute, the Electoral Court of the Judicial Power of the Federation and the local electoral institutions.

It is evident that the opposition does not seem to be in the hands of the political parties today, it is in the hands of the citizens. We must recognize that it is not yet clear how it will be organized and capitalized to give it the power it deserves. However, political parties are essential to achieve opposition success.

Right now we understand by opposition that which can be integrated by the PAN, PRI, PRD and perhaps the Citizen Movement. Obviously, its possible success also lies in the fact that its leaders, legislators or governors are bent by the government machinery.

Will the opposition parties to the regime be clever enough to defeat the ruling movement at the polls? One of the challenges will be the nomination of a single attractive candidate from the opposition.

Evidently it is not opportune to risk whoever can contend, because it could be destroyed by the president and his hosts.

It is a shame that the current government, which came to power from a neat application of democratic rules and regulations, intends to disrupt the electoral institutions to build a demagogic and dictatorial regime, emulating Hitler and Mussolini, among others.

The survival of our democracy is in the hands of the opposition bloc that stopped the electrical reform in the Chamber of Deputies and, where appropriate, of the containment bloc in the Senate. Unfortunately, there is doubt about the adoption of agreements in the dark to bend or corrupt the main protagonists who could put their illegitimate and personal interests before the national interest.

Without a doubt, we are facing a watershed and a test for oppositions of national significance.

We trust that they do not lose sight of the fact that collaborating with the official movement, in this arbitrariness in electoral matters, would be suicidal and would imply ceasing to be an option for those who disapprove of populism and presidential demagoguery, in addition to the absence of results.

What is on display is the intention to return to the past, as if the world of yesterday had been better.

Let us remember that in the longed-for past, the economy was closed, human rights were not respected and democracy was an aspiration.

Let us not forget that the survival of our democratic regime depends on the preservation of the autonomy of the INE.

* Lawyer, negotiator and mediator

phmergoldd@anmediacion.com.mx

Twitter @Phmergoldd