The President criticized the Institute’s argument that it lacked sufficient budget to not implement the consultation on the former presidents; “that they also tighten their belts and do more with less,” he said
MEXICO CITY – President Andrés Manuel López Obrador accused the National Electoral Institute (INE) of not doing its job and seeking to censor it. AMLO highlighted that the INE could not condition the realization of the consultation due to money issues since it is an arbitrator and is prevented from speaking in favor of or against it.
After asking the electoral advisors to prepare themselves because there will be a consultation to decide whether to prosecute the former presidents, he criticized that they argue the lack of sufficient economic resources to not apply this exercise.
In his morning conference, he said that it is the INE’s responsibility to promote democracy with this type of consultation and better manage its budget.
“They are saying that it is tough to do a consultation; how? If they are the ones who have to promote that there is democracy. They should also tighten their belts and do more with less,” he said.
López Obrador added that the INE seeks to prevent him from using his freedom of expression and complying with the right to information.
After the Institute, this determined to lower from the air the spot in which he mentions Pope Francisco.
“We cannot remain silent, and here it is forbidden to prohibit; just as they question us, that we also have the possibility of replicating,” he said.
President, against INE for consultation
“The National Electoral Institute (INE) BEST be prepared because there will be a consultation to judge Mexico’s former presidents… “there will be one,” sentenced President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
The President manifested his disagreement with some electoral councilors’ expressions in the sense that it is not possible to carry out a consultation like the one foreseen due to a lack of sufficient economic resources.
However, President López Obrador maintained that it is possible to carry out the citizen consultation by the INE, in the first place, because it is their responsibility and in the second place because they must better manage their budget and adjust their belts.
“This is useful for me to ask the INE to get ready because there is going to be a consultation, it is very probable, we do not know for sure, but it is very probable, and I say this to the INE because I read some statements where it even seemed strange to me, they are saying that it is challenging to do a consultation; how? If they are the ones that have to promote democracy, that they also tighten their belts and do more with less”, AMLO pointed out to the media.
Lopez Obrador emphasized that money questions cannot condition the realization of the consultation since it is a matter of promoting Mexican citizens’ participation, and the referee of the consultation is prevented from speaking in favor of or against it.
“We must listen to the people, the people, and if they do not like it, because they do not agree for some reason, they are not the right ones to give their opinion about it, if it is the judges if it is the referee,” questioned the head of the federal executive.
“They want to censure me.”
The President of Mexico, Adrés Manuel López Obrador, denounced that the INE seeks to censor him and prevent him from using his freedom of expression and complying with the right to information.
Therefore, the Republic’s Presidency will go before the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Power of the Federation (TEPJF) to file a complaint about the withdrawal of a spot mentioning Pope Francisco.
According to President López Obrador, it is not possible that the INE has ordered to take off the air the TV message in which he mentions the pontiff since, at the same time, he is the head of the Vatican State.
“López Obrador said that he obeyed the INE’s ruling, “but under protest,” that is why he will file the complaint.
“WE CANNOT RISK THE ELECTION”
In this regard, Counselor Norma Irene de la Cruz said that the INE could make some adjustments and tighten its belt on the budget issue, but it cannot put at risk the processes it has to follow to organize the elections, she said.
The above, after President López Obrador, said that the Institute should tighten its belt to carry out a widespread consultation, since according to the declarations of the INE’s President, doing it in August 2021 would have a cost almost equal to the June 6 elections, that is, more than eight thousand million pesos.
The counselor recalled that she cast a concurrent vote in the approval of the budget because she considers that if INE had been able “to make more adjustments, of course, none of these adjustments could put the processes at risk, that is very important and that is why many of the substantive areas of our Institute in those areas cannot be cut because having a cut would have a direct effect on how the processes are organized.
Regarding the widespread consultation, he said that since INE cannot decide whether to consult or not, it has to go through the filter of the Supreme Court, “and if the Supreme Court approves it and gives us the job of organizing it, then we will organize it, and this has logistical, financial and operational implications, and INE would have to take the agreements to be able to comply with that order when it reaches us.”
