“Even though a second session may be held on September 1, it does not mean that the reform of the Judicial Branch will be approved on that day,” Monreal explained to the media.
Ricardo Monreal, who competed against Sheinbaum for the Morena presidential nomination, said that they will give “the deadlines for publicity, deliberation, discussion in general, discussion in particular, to make the debate broad, so that all Mexicans know what we are talking about, is the suggestion of President Claudia Sheinbaum,” he said.
According to the senator, Sheinbaum believes that further analysis and reflection on electoral reform is required, “because we have to complete it properly.”
“It doesn’t mean that it won’t be done, but we’ll wait for a better time,” said the Morena member.
A commission of the Chamber of Deputies approved on Monday the opinion of the controversial judicial reform promoted by the outgoing president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, paving the way for its final discussion in early September, once the new Congress with a pro-government majority takes office.
The controversial reform seeks, among other things, that more than 7,000 judges, magistrates and ministers of the Supreme Court be elected by popular vote.
The proposal has not only led thousands of judicial workers to strike, but has also kept markets in suspense and has even generated friction between Mexico and its trading partners: the United States and Canada.
In an attempt to calm fears, the ruling party approved on Monday more than 100 amendments to the proposal presented by López Obrador in February. However, analysts agree that the main changes – gradual elections – do not modify the essence of the original initiative.
The approved ruling establishes that an election will be held in June 2025 to replace the ministers of the country’s highest court, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN), – who will go from 11 to nine – and half of the country’s magistrates and district judges. The remaining positions will be elected in 2027.
The SCJN ministers will not elect their president, as they have done until now. The presidency will be held by the person who obtains the most votes and will last two years, instead of the current four. In addition, the age limit of 35 years is eliminated and the work experience requirement is reduced from 10 to five years to be a minister of the SCJN.
Also, work experience is eliminated to qualify for the position of judge. Among other changes, the reform proposes the creation of an autonomous administrative body, a disciplinary court, a profound reengineering of the main axes of the justice system and a civic and alternative justice scheme to relieve pressure on the penal system.
López Obrador argues that a transformation of the justice system is necessary because it is “not at the service of the people” and “responds to the interests of organized crime.” Claudia Sheinbaum, who will assume the presidency of Mexico on October 1, has backed the proposal, saying it will combat the high levels of impunity.
The judiciary maintains that this violates their rights because it would eliminate the judicial career path for accessing the positions of judges and opens the possibility for powerful groups, even illegal ones, to take over the justice system with the popular election of judges.
The proposal has also raised concerns among investors, who say the changes would weaken one of the checks and balances of the executive branch, damaging the business climate in Latin America’s second-largest economy.
-With information from the Reuters agency.
