OK, not missing as in lost in the wilderness, but for all practical effects, pretty close:
Quite amazingly, given that the 2012 race has all but started, and that IFE will now have considerably more tasks than in 2006, following the 2007-8 electoral reform: The Mexican Chamber of Deputies still has not appointed three new councilors missing on the IFE's general council, following the departure of three many, many months ago - I am not even sure of how long IFE has been operating with only 6 councilors. But what I do know is that this is technically unconstitutional, and that the Chamber of Deputies - and principally PRI, which demands to appoint two out the three - is not doing its job.
IFE president Leonardo Valdés again called on congress to do this as soon as possible, as time is running out - for la grande, the 2012 presidential one, but also 15(!) gubernatorial elections that year. Given the expansions of IFE's functions, they really need all hands on deck here.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Chiapas becomes first Mexican state to end the "arraigo"
Following the ratification of 78 municipalities, the state legislature in Chiapas declared an end to the legal arraigo, where citizens may be held without any charges in what is perhaps best translated as "preventive detention," in all its Orwellian glory.
Many human rights organizations have pushed for this, and for it to be extended to other states as well, and with good cause: It completely eliminates the presumption of innocence. The United Nations have also called on Mexico to end this legal practice. Now Chiapas became the first state to do so.
Many human rights organizations have pushed for this, and for it to be extended to other states as well, and with good cause: It completely eliminates the presumption of innocence. The United Nations have also called on Mexico to end this legal practice. Now Chiapas became the first state to do so.
The new fraud: Electoral tourism
El Universal has had some excellent columns as of late, and one of them is Denise Maerker's colum on "New forms of electoral fraud." I remember reading just one story on this subject from Mexico State, and Maerker puts a welcome spotlight on it again: PRI - because all the examples involve the party - is trying out a new method of influencing elections that has so far slipped under the radar screen of electoral authorities.
Simply put: In very competitive elections, with months of anticipation, local communities all of a sudden see a rush of new people moving to the area. They then try to gain residency, get a local voter card, and maintain it just long enough to vote and influence the election result.
The beast has a name: "Electoral tourism." It is far to early to say how widespread it is, and clearly it is a complicated operation that is not pulled off easily. Yet it seems fair to posit, as does Maerker, that this the new electoral fraud.
Almost makes you miss the good ole' vote tacos.
Simply put: In very competitive elections, with months of anticipation, local communities all of a sudden see a rush of new people moving to the area. They then try to gain residency, get a local voter card, and maintain it just long enough to vote and influence the election result.
The beast has a name: "Electoral tourism." It is far to early to say how widespread it is, and clearly it is a complicated operation that is not pulled off easily. Yet it seems fair to posit, as does Maerker, that this the new electoral fraud.
Almost makes you miss the good ole' vote tacos.
Monday, July 25, 2011
AMLO puts the PT back in line - no separate candidacy in Michoacán
To his credit, AMLO will not back a separate Partido del Trabajo (PT) candidate for governor of Michoacán, as many feared: On the contrary, he even offered to put the structure of his MORENA movement at the disposal of PRD's candidate.
I assume he must have come to the conclusion that a loss for the left in Michoacán, thanks to a potential spoiler candidacy of the PT, would have torpedoed his already remote chances in 2012.
I assume he must have come to the conclusion that a loss for the left in Michoacán, thanks to a potential spoiler candidacy of the PT, would have torpedoed his already remote chances in 2012.
New trend in disturbing growth of Mexican poverty: Cities hit worse than countryside
Coneval, Mexico's national council for the evaluation of social policies, found that, not too surprising, poverty has grown a lot in Mexico the past years. While the El Universal article on the data clumsily does not provide any context for its measurements, the absolute figures speak for themselves:
Twenty-three million people, more 20 percent of Mexico's population, do not have sufficient economic resources to ensure basic daily food consumption.
And what is perhaps a surprise: Following the 2008-9 crisis, poverty has grown much more in the cities than in the countryside (see graphic below). That was certainly not the case before - the cities were almost always better off. I hope to get into the report the coming days for some summary findings.
Twenty-three million people, more 20 percent of Mexico's population, do not have sufficient economic resources to ensure basic daily food consumption.
And what is perhaps a surprise: Following the 2008-9 crisis, poverty has grown much more in the cities than in the countryside (see graphic below). That was certainly not the case before - the cities were almost always better off. I hope to get into the report the coming days for some summary findings.
 |
| From El Universal |
Wikileaks 06VATICAN61: Cardinal Juan Sandoval Íñiguez pleaded with U.S. ambassador
No shocker to those well familar with Cardinal Juan Sandoval Íñiguez, one of the absolute most ultra-reactionary and anti-democratic elements within the Mexican catholic church, but a revelation nonetheless:
According to Wikileaks cable 06VATICAN61, Sandoval met with U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, Francis Rooney, in 2006, and asked the U.S. for help in stopping the presidential ambitions of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who narrowly lost that year's election.
Given Mexican law, this type of political proselytizing is not allowed by the church.
The archdiocese of Guadalajara admitted that a meeting took place, but denies that the cardinal even mentioned AMLO. Perhaps the U.S. embassy personnel are simply making the entire thing up?
(Here is a direct link to the cable, for your reading pleasure - "He asked whether President Bush could help")
Strangely, AMLO seems to think so - his response to the apparent revelation was very muted, saying only that it he doubted it. Is he still, like in 2006, holding out for good relations with the church? Given that Sandoval already in 2006 appeared to see him as a "danger," this seems a lost cause.
According to Wikileaks cable 06VATICAN61, Sandoval met with U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, Francis Rooney, in 2006, and asked the U.S. for help in stopping the presidential ambitions of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who narrowly lost that year's election.
Given Mexican law, this type of political proselytizing is not allowed by the church.
The archdiocese of Guadalajara admitted that a meeting took place, but denies that the cardinal even mentioned AMLO. Perhaps the U.S. embassy personnel are simply making the entire thing up?
As the Brits are fond of saying: Not bloody likely.
(Here is a direct link to the cable, for your reading pleasure - "He asked whether President Bush could help")
Strangely, AMLO seems to think so - his response to the apparent revelation was very muted, saying only that it he doubted it. Is he still, like in 2006, holding out for good relations with the church? Given that Sandoval already in 2006 appeared to see him as a "danger," this seems a lost cause.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
PAN and PRD reject 2012 - but much talk of a "citizen candidate."
President Felipe Calderón openly rejected the possibility of PAN backing a PRD candidate for 2012, such as Marcelo Ebrard. Marcelo Ebrard essentially says the same thing - that an alliance with PAN is "improbable." Yet Calderón pointedly left the door open for a "citizen candidate," or a person who doesn't belong to either - or any - party.
Two names that frequently appear in this regard are Juan Ramón de la Fuente, and to a lesser extent José Woldenberg - former UNAM and IFE president, respectively.
The PRD also notably contains what one may the "plague on both your houses" group, or a sector that rejects both Marcelo Ebrard and Andrés Manuel López Obrador above all in the ADN party faction. Should things get too nasty in the run-up o the election, this group might gain momentum. And their candidate could be, the aforementioned de la Fuente and Woldenberg.
All speculation, of course, but that is all the rage within all camps in these days of declinations and declarations.
Two names that frequently appear in this regard are Juan Ramón de la Fuente, and to a lesser extent José Woldenberg - former UNAM and IFE president, respectively.
The PRD also notably contains what one may the "plague on both your houses" group, or a sector that rejects both Marcelo Ebrard and Andrés Manuel López Obrador above all in the ADN party faction. Should things get too nasty in the run-up o the election, this group might gain momentum. And their candidate could be, the aforementioned de la Fuente and Woldenberg.
All speculation, of course, but that is all the rage within all camps in these days of declinations and declarations.
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