The Ministry of Economy published a proposal that goes against the autonomy of the National Electoral Institute.
MEXICO CITY (Times Media Mexico) – The government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, through the Ministry of Economy, seeks to regulate the organization of elections, by establishing an “electoral quality management system,” with the aim of “increasing the confidence of citizens.”
On Friday, May 22, the agency in charge of Graciela Marquez, published in the Official Journal of the Federation, a notice of public consultation of the draft Mexican Standard for “quality management” of electoral organizations at all levels of government.
The National Electoral Institute (INE), which Lorenzo Cordova presided over, said Tuesday in a statement that this project violates the institute’s attributions.
“Any intention to establish rules different from those established in the Constitution and the General Law on Electoral Institutions and Procedures is a violation of the attributions of the INE,” it said in the document.
He added that it also violated the established political-electoral order and explained that matters related to electoral procedures are the responsibility of the Congress of the Union.
“As in previous occasions with AMLO’s government, the institute will defend its legal attributions and the rules. We will continue constitutionally and legally, to organize the electoral processes through which citizens freely choose their authorities,” he warned.
The Mexican Norm NMX-CC-9001-IMNC-2015 “seeks to increase the confidence of citizens, candidates, political organizations, and other electoral stakeholders, through the effective implementation of the electoral quality management system, including processes for continuous improvement the established legal framework.
This proposal also aims to ensure that electoral management bodies can be constituted in a manner that reflects local legal requirements.
The standard would apply to pre- and post-election activities and the electoral bodies involved, whether they are permanent or temporary organizations.
The initiative points out that a quality electoral organization needs to demonstrate its ability to deliver reliable, transparent, free, and fair election results.
The Government of Mexico disassociated the Ministry of Economy from this proposal. It ensured they “fully respect” the electoral system provided for the Constitution, the various laws on the subject, and the powers of the electoral institute.
“This draft Mexican norm was issued and developed exclusively by the National Organism of Normalization called the Mexican Institute of Normalization and Certification, A.C. (IMNC), without the Ministry of Economy having had any participation in its development or content,” he details.
However, it recognizes that this Secretariat publishes in the DOF draft Mexican standards prepared by the National Standards Bodies so that these are submitted to public consultation, under the principles of transparency and maximum publicity.
Likewise, he pointed out that “the proposed norm does not seek to interfere in the attributions of the INE or of the Local Public Electoral Bodies whose autonomy is guaranteed” in the Magna Carta.
He also explained that economic officials communicated this to the Minister of INE, Ciro Murayama, and Minister-President of INE, Lorenzo Córdova.
In this regard, Ciro Murayama considered it “nonsense” that the federal government wants to regulate the organization of elections.
“They (AMLO’s inconditionals) do not understand that elections are not an economic activity; worse, they ignore that there is a constitutional autonomy in electoral matters,” he said on Twitter.
Ojo con este despropósito publicado en el DOF (22-5-20):
El gobierno vía la Secretaría de Economía quiere regular la organización ¡de las elecciones!
No entienden que las elecciones no son actividad económica; peor, ignoran que hay autonomía constitucional en materia electoral. pic.twitter.com/ziwvrn0x2b
— Ciro Murayama (@CiroMurayamaMx) May 26, 2020
