They will investigate at the INE why they lose minority candidates

Fabiola Martinez

Newspaper La Jornada
Thursday June 30, 2022, p. 7

In 2021, 315 members of groups considered affirmative action, that is, indigenous people, people with disabilities, Afro-Mexicans and people of sexual diversity, were nominated to run for a popular election position. However, only 9.52 percent won by way of vote (relative majority).

In the session of the Commission of Prerogatives and Political Parties of the National Electoral Institute (INE), held yesterday, it was suggested that a study be carried out on the reasons for these results.

The foregoing, they said, so that the dynamic in which women are placed in places where the respective party has little or no chance of winning is not repeated, with the sole purpose of covering the gender quota.

Regarding parity in the nomination for the gubernatorial elections in the states of Mexico and Coahuila –and the possibility that the parties appoint a woman in any of these entities–, the commission said that the issue will be addressed until the 11 of July.

Councilor Adriana Favela said that she supports the investigations that are carried out in this regard, and gave the numbers of relative majority nominations for the 2021 contest. Of course there is evidence that there is a problemhe underlined.

Representatives of political parties in the commission considered that it would be a subjective report, because no one will say that he lost because he did not campaign well or because the voters did not know him, but rather they will affirm that they purposely put him in a district at a disadvantage for the political force in question.

The topic was included in the general business part of the session, at the request of counselor Dania Ravel, who reported that some of the people nominated for affirmative action contested in places where they had little chance of winning. Therefore, she added, it is worth analyzing what is happening and making forecasts towards the 2024 election.

It seems to me that if this is true, it would show a serious situation, because we cannot allow affirmative actions to be formally complied with, but materially mechanisms are implemented that prevent their useful effect..