For Andrés Manuel López Obrador, it is necessary that in 2021 the sham he calls a “consultation” is carried out to prosecute the former presidents.
REYNOSA Tamaulipas (Times Media Mexico) – In a conference from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, AMLO said he would be awaiting for the collecting of signatures from citizens to request the exercise, although he did not rule out asking for it himself. “I believe it is necessary. I do see it, I don’t rule it out, but we have to wait,” he said.
Separately, INE President Lorenzo Cordova warned that organizing such an event would force an increase and “dramatically review” the institution’s budget for 2021.
He clarified that the popular consultation cannot be linked to the next mid-term election, but must be applied two months later. Which, in budgetary terms, would imply, for all practical purposes, the organization of a new election, he explained.
According to the Treasury figures for electoral spending in 2021, INE requested ten thousand 992 million pesos. Of these, eight.2 billion are for organizing elections.
The citizen consultation to prosecute the former presidents is necessary, said President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he does see the realization of that exercise next year.
Questioned in the morning press conference held in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, the federal executive head established that he will be awaiting the collection of sufficient signatures among citizens to request the vote and not rule out the possibility of requesting it himself. “I think it is necessary (…) I do see it, I don’t rule it out, but we have to wait,” said the President.
On September 15, the legal deadline will expire to collect the necessary signatures to request the consultation, or for this exercise to be requested by the federal deputies.
He pointed out that it is required that before September 15, the petition be made concrete, the causes that would be pursued be defined, and the question that would eventually be applied on August 1.
He warned that he would wait until the citizens or the legislators can convoke the popular consultation; otherwise, he would enter the request in the Congress of the Union.
It is necessary. Why am I going to do it? Because I don’t want to look like an executioner and because I have committed myself to command by obeying,” AMLO said.
THE EQUIVALENT OF A NEW ELECTION: CORDOVA
In clarifying that, as dictated by the corresponding law, the popular consultation on whether or not to bring the former presidents to trial could not be held in the next mid-term elections until the first Sunday in August, INE President Lorenzo Córdova Vianello warned that organizing such an event would force an increase and “dramatically revise” the institution’s budget for 2021.
In a virtual meeting with federal deputies from the Citizens’ Movement, he recalled that if this initiative is successful, Congress will have to approve whether it is carried out or not.
Córdova Vianello said that now that there is talk of the possibility of holding a referendum in 2021, it is necessary to remember that although originally it was only supposed to take place every three years, the reform carried out in 2019 established that it can take place every year, “but it has to be held on the first Sunday in August.
The President of the INE added that, if the referendum is held in 2021, it will not be possible to join the June 6 elections to renew 15 governorships, municipal presidencies, local congresses, and the Chamber of Deputies.
“Then, on August 1, we would have the referendum, which in budgetary terms, since the Law of Popular Consultation was not modified, the one that regulated the referendum before the constitutional reform of last year is still in effect, would imply, for all practical purposes, the organization of a new election with the same organizational figures, the number of polling places, the number of citizens required, of officials, etc., only two months after the federal election,” he warned.
He reminded the deputies that, since last May, the deadline for legislative adjustments to the framework governing this form of direct democracy has expired.
So, suppose that is what Congress decides because it will have to be endorsed by Congress. In that case, we will have to dramatically review the budget that we approved (just the previous Wednesday) and that today, just today, is going to the Ministry of Finance to be presented, without moving a comma, for your consideration.
“It is like another election, that is, the problem is that now the rules say that it is another election. It is done with the same rules as the General Law of Institutions and Legislative Procedures,” warned the INE president.
“Today they can no longer change that law, because you can no longer change the laws, because the electoral process starts in September, including the popular consultation process,” Cordova Vianello said.
