Complaints to the INE
The National Electoral Institute (INE) received dozens of complaints against President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for alleged violations of electoral law in the presidential electoral process, several of them for his statements in his “morning” conferences, which is why his withdrawal was ordered.
In this regard, Andrea Samaniego recalls that President López Obrador used the “morning press conference” as a strategic tool.
“While political parties only have the time of the State, the president can dedicate three hours in the morning to talk about anything. And normally it was about corruption cases of the past or pointing out some politicians. So yes, it is also a campaign exercise, but it is not regulated,” he adds.
At his press conference, the president also criticised his political opponents, whom he has repeatedly accused of “corruption” and “having plundered the country”.
In his morning press conference on February 9, he quoted Benito Juárez and assured that those who ignored the people could not govern them again.
“That phrase is very profound. How can those who looted, those who stole, those who are classist, racist, who have no regard for the people, who on the contrary despise the people, ignore the people, govern this country? This great country, with an exceptional people,” he said.
The INE ordered the withdrawal of this and other conferences (February 6, 7, 8) because it considered that “they could violate the principles of neutrality, impartiality and equity of the electoral process in progress, being of an electoral nature.”
The challenge for Sheinbaum
At the suggestion of Morena and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador himself, Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that she will also hold her “morning press conferences.”
The format, duration and location where the first woman to hold the Presidency will be able to hear questions from the media are still unknown.
“We hope that, due to its scientific nature, the conference will be effectively informative and provide real data on the government’s work… and we call for this climate of animosity to be tempered. A radical change in the president’s discourse against the press, against any critic of the government, would be very helpful,” adds Leopoldo Maldonado.
And disguised as “his other data,” President López Obrador was charged with making thousands of false statements: an average of 86 per conference, according to Estrada.
As for content, experts see a challenge for Sheinbaum: adapting to a space tailored for López Obrador.
“Claudia Sheinbaum is not López Obrador, she is not a charismatic leader, she is not a mass candidate who can hold a morning press conference for two or three hours a day,” says Samaniego.
