Fabiola Martinez
The newspaper La Jornada
Sunday, August 18, 2024, p. 6
In an effort to reduce fines for irregularities in their campaign expenses, the parties have filed a total of 324 challenges related to the 2023-2024 electoral process and others against their opponents.
Of the above total, 314 are from local contests promoted –in that order– by the Morena, Movimiento Ciudadano (MC) and Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) parties, which accumulate the highest sanctions.
Although the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judicial Branch (TEPJF) usually declares most of the allegations inadmissible and/or unfounded and, therefore, endorses the criteria of the National Electoral Institute (INE), the parties do not let their guard down and resort to the highest authority.
Initially, the INE analyzed 33,281 campaign income and expense reports, which together meant reviewing income for 7,547 million and disbursements for 7,401 million.
The magnitude of this activity is evident in the Comprehensive Inspection System, in which just over half a million operations were recorded.
Consequently, it imposed sanctions on parties, coalitions and independent candidates for a preliminary amount of approximately 1.5 billion, which on a national scale would be 174.4 million for Morena, 136.8 for MC, 77.9 for National Action (PAN), 40.8 for the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), 91.3 for the Labor Party (PT), 83.9 for the PRI and 97.8 for the Green Party, plus what is charged at the level of coalitions, as well as to local and independent candidates.
Pending tasks
In the final stretch of the federal electoral process (PEF) 2023-2024, the INE has two fundamental pending tasks: assigning the places of proportional representation in the Congress of the Union and defending its oversight criteria.
Regarding the first point, the draft agreement will be announced this week. It will be analyzed by the councilors first in the Commission on Prerogatives and Political Parties and two days later, on April 23, by the General Council, which for this occasion – in an unusual event – requested prior registration from the media.
At the same time, it will have to deal with the challenges of the Technical Inspection Unit (UTF).
Seven rulings from the PEF are being challenged (for the presidency, deputies and senators) and 221 for local elections. As for complaints, there are only three for federal elections and 93 for state and municipal elections.
According to data from the INE’s Comprehensive System of Appeals, Morena filed an appeal against a UTF report and another of complaints, related to the PEF, and the rest of the total election balances, for a total of 60.
They are followed by MC, with 57, and the PRI with 41, also in the same proportion as the cherry-colored party, that is, the greatest dissatisfaction is with local rulings, whose candidates in the June 2 election were counted in the thousands: municipal presidencies, deputies to state congresses and governorships, plus syndicates, councilors and councilors.
In fourth place is the PAN, with 36 challenges, almost all of them at the local level, while the Green Party has 35 and the PT an equal number. Meanwhile, the PRD only has four.
In turn, there are a few filed, jointly, by 15 coalitions and local parties, 24 as individual candidates and 11 promoted by citizens, for a grand total of 324.
