The INE will require 40.4 billion pesos for its activities in 2025

Fabiola Martinez

La Jornada Newspaper
Sunday, November 3, 2024, p. 4

The General Council of the National Electoral Institute (INE) will vote tomorrow on the budget request of 15,295.8 million pesos, for the body’s ordinary operation and specific projects in 2025.

In the document that it will send to the Executive, for submission to the Chamber of Deputies, the INE will include for the first time a precautionary budget of 13,205 million pesos for the election of judges, and another, also precautionaryof 4,620 million for carrying out, where appropriate, citizen consultations.

From the perspective of the Federation’s Expenditure Budget, 7,354 million must be added to this fund as financing for the six national political parties.

For the mere fact of existing, each party will receive 350 million pesos, plus a proportional part according to the vote obtained last June, in the election of deputies.

In short, and if this is confirmed in San Lázaro, around 40,474 million pesos will be allocated to support next year’s political-electoral activity.

From the first point, the project highlights the tasks of the INE: organizing electoral processes with effectiveness and efficiency, strengthening trust and citizen participation, and guaranteeing the right to identity.

It then details the four sections of the institute’s budget: operating expenses or base budget, specific projects, precautionary budget and party financing.

It also emphasizes that its staff (about 20 thousand workers) is specialized and, in that context, defends its tabulator, which will be adjusted according to the inflation programmed by the Ministry of Finance.

According to the text, it considers – among other factors – that directors can earn a gross salary of 234 thousand pesos per month, and that this does not contradict the Federal Law on Remuneration of Public Servants.

In the case of the INE, the maximum annual remuneration of the President of the Republic, which in terms of article 9 of the aforementioned law serves as a limit for all public servants, cannot be considered for the members of the General Council of the INE, of in accordance with the second transition of this new remuneration law.

By area, the greatest resources are concentrated in the directorates of the Federal Registry of Voters and Administration, and the state and district structure of the institute. As for the prerogatives, the majority (7 thousand of 3 thousand 354 million) is allocated to ordinary activities.

According to the norm, of the aforementioned amount, 30 percent is distributed equally and the remaining 70 percent according to the votes obtained in the last election of federal deputies; Morena obtained a higher percentage of votes, so it heads the list with a private financing of 2,486 million, plus concepts for specific activities, postal and telegraphic franchise, and political leadership of women.

For this last concept the parties will allocate only 210 million together.

Counselor Dania Ravel said that they continue the resistances in the parties to use resources effectively for the political development of women.

The commitment to women’s rights must also be reflected in the good use of these funds.he warned.