The national leader of the PAN, Marko Cortes Mendozaasked the legislators of all the parties in the Congress of the Union to take into account the opinions of the Venice Commission before the discussion of electoral reform“because they are warning us that plurality and democracy in our country are being put at risk.”
“Legislators, political parties and all public servants involved must be responsible and subscribe to a broad and constructive debate that strengthens the electoral institute, improves the party system and guarantees transparent, clean and fair elections,” he stated.
Cortés Mendoza mentioned that any electoral reform must be the product of an in-depth analysis of the problems and challenges in electoral matters, and of a broad consensus between political parties and society. He maintained that the initiative of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador generates more dissent than consensus between the different political forces and civil society, since it does not have the necessary transparency and inclusion of all interested parties.
“National Action and its parliamentary groups express their strongest rejection of any reform that means the slightest regression and weakening of the democratic transition of our country, which has cost us so many years of efforts, sacrifice and plural dialogue; confirming that in all its decisions, after objective analysis and plural debate, the national interest and the safeguarding of democracy and sovereignty will prevail, ”he stated.
He highlighted and supported the observations made by the Venice Commissionsince various risks and threats to Mexican democracy stand out from the presidential initiative.
He said that the Commission highlighted that the President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s proposal it is unusual and creates risks for its status as an impartial body, since it does not provide sufficient guarantees of independence of the constitutional electoral bodies, which, he considered, should alert the opposition parties.
He added that the international organization also described as risky that the electoral advisers are elected by popular vote, since it is not in line with international standards for best practices and does not guarantee that the institute has an independent operation.
“Since Mexico is an integral member of the Venice Commission, the different considerations of international experts in electoral law must be heard and publicly debated, to avoid disrupting what it has cost us Mexicans so many years to build, from having a credential that identifies us in any part of Mexico, until we can have autonomous organizations that freely organize elections”, he pointed out.
Marko Cortés stated that the recommendations and remarks of all national and international specialists should be analyzed and listened to, “since we must promote the best democratic practices in the world in Mexico. The fact of ignoring what international experts expose implies a regressive, authoritarian and autocratic position, as we have already seen during this six-year term with López Obrador, ”he said.
