The popular election of electoral consultants is unacceptable

In a country with a representative democracy such as ours, there are certain public issues that should not be submitted to votes, referendums or popular consultations, but discussed in the legislative chambers and, if appropriate, regulated by laws approved by the deputies representing the people and the senators who represent the states that are part of the federation.

The Political Constitution recognizes this when in its Article 3 it establishes that: “The restriction of human rights recognized by this Constitution and in the international treaties to which the Mexican State is a party, nor the guarantees for your protection; the principles enshrined in article 40 of the same [Es voluntad del pueblo mexicano constituirse en una República representativa, democrática, laica y federal, compuesta por Estados libres y soberanos en todo lo concerniente a su régimen interior, y por la Ciudad de México, unidos en una federación establecida según los principios de esta ley fundamental]; the permanence or continuity in the position of the public servants of popular election; electoral matters; the financial system, income, expenses and the Expenditure Budget of the Federation; the infrastructure works in execution; national security and the organization, functioning and discipline of the permanent Armed Forces”.

In his book Popular Consultation and Direct Democracy, published in 1997 by the National Electoral Institute, Jean-François Prud’Homme, professor-researcher at the Center for Sociological Studies of El Colegio de México and member of the National System of Researchers, analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of direct democracy and it is convenient here to note some of what he writes about both.

Among the advantages: They allow “the direct expression of public opinion in legislative processes”, they increase “the sensitivity of legislators to opinion movements”, they reduce “the distortion effects created by political parties and intermediate associations” and increase “citizen participation”.

Among the drawbacks: “The instruments of direct democracy weaken representative government and lead to a vision of democracy without government accountability; the dichotomous character of the plebiscitary decision encourages the polarization of political options and leads to the adoption of forced decisions; its mechanisms can become controlled by powerful interest groups; the ordinary citizen is not prepared to make complex and important decisions”.

Based on the foregoing, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s proposal that electoral councilors be elected by the direct vote of the people is unacceptable because, in addition to the fact that most citizens lack the preparation to discern who would be a good councilor electoral process, beforehand the election process would be controlled by “powerful interest groups” such as the state and federal governments and congresses controlled by Morena, which would result in the election of advisers loyal to this political party who would seek to benefit it in any process electoral.

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