MEXICO’S Supreme Court yesterday struck down a key part of controversial electoral reforms promoted by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s ruling party ahead of elections next year.

Alleging violations in the legislative process, nine of the 11 judges voted to invalidate a change that would have reduced the size and budget of the National Electoral Institute (INE), the independent body in charge of organising elections.

The reform package, passed by lawmakers earlier this year, drew tens of thousands of Mexicans into the streets protesting what critics see as an attack on democracy.

Last month, the Supreme Court had already annulled proposed changes to regulations concerning officials’ participation in campaigns and official propaganda.

The opposition argues that the reforms would empower the government to interfere in electoral processes and tip the balance in its favour in the 2024 presidential and legislative polls.

Lopez Obrador accuses the INE of wasting money and alleges that it endorsed fraud when he ran unsuccessfully for the presidency in 2006 and 2012, before winning in 2018.

The left-wing populist, whose approval rating hovers at about 60%, cannot seek re-election as the constitution bars more than one six-year term. – AFP, June 23, 2023.