Thursday, May 26, 2011

The end of the Mexican president's pocket veto

A notable legislative reform: The Permanent Commission of the Mexican Senate declared valid a constitutional reform that eliminates the so-called "pocket veto" of the Mexican president.

What this means in short is that while earlier the Mexican president could in certain cases allow bills to linger on indefinitely by not signing them, now the presidents of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Senate will have the authority to do so. Reportedly more than 52 legislative projects await the president's signature.

After now receiving approval from 19 state legislatures, the amendment to the Constitution, originally from 2008, will now become law as soon as it is published in the Diario Oficial.