Mexico’s ruling party is poised to secure the Senate vote
As Mexican senators consider a tough plan to overhaul the country’s justice system, it looks like Mexico’s ruling party could get the necessary votes in the Senate with the proposal.
MEXICO CITY – As Mexican senators consider a controversial plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary, it appeared Tuesday that the ruling party could secure the votes it needs in the Senate to pass the measure.
The overhaul, revised by outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has sparked weeks of protests by court employees and law students, who say the plan, which would elect all judges, would jeopardize judicial independence and deal a serious blow to the system of checks and balances.
Despite criticism, the measure passed the lower house of Congress last week and was sent to the Senate, where Lopez Obrador’s Morena party lacked the supermajority needed to enact it. It managed to remove two senators from an opposition party the previous week, but one was absent this week.
It was unclear where that vote would come from, with the country’s opposition staunchly opposed to the plan. Over the weekend, onlookers speculated that Miguel Ángel Younes Márquez, a senator from the conservative National Action Party (PAN), might support Morena after refusing to respond to requests from his party’s leadership.
Yunes Márquez, a former Veracruz governor, will take a leave of absence due to health problems and will be replaced by his father, Miguel Ángel Yunes Linares.
Although father and son did not immediately confirm their decision to support the reconstruction, Yunes Linares entered the Senate chamber to cheers and “heroes!” Morena from the senators, as well as “Traitor!” from his own party members.
ALSO READ : ‘Lots of red flags’: Fire Festival investors fear reboot disaster
‘Lots of red flags’: Fire Festival investors fear reboot disaster
LINK : ‘Lots of red flags’: Fire Festival investors fear reboot disaster
Fire Festival
An investor in the disastrous Fire Festival has issued a warning to anyone interested in participating in its planned reboot: “Proceed with caution.”
Andy King’s comments came after Billy McFarland announced Fire II, despite having recently been released from prison for defrauding the original of millions.
A PAN senator, Lili Tellez, threw dozens of coins at Younes Linares, calling him a “traitor who sold his country” for personal gain. A Senate vote was expected on Wednesday.
PAN’s national head Marco Cortés announced that it was “proven” that there was an “immunity agreement” between Younis and the government, thus he would vote for the reform. Cortes was referring to the July arrest warrant for Sen. Younes Marquez on charges of document forgery and forgery linked to his candidacy.
Younes contested this and received a temporary suspension, claiming it was political persecution by the ruling Morena party, which his father now appears to support.
His father, Younes Márquez, dodged press questions on Tuesday about how he would vote, but Cortes accused him of “lynching” and claimed it was “absolutely false” that he was pressured to vote for restructuring. Morena’s two senators flanked him during the speech.
“I’m not a traitor, I’ve never betrayed anyone,” he told us. The complaints were “not a democracy. I am here to work completely independently.”
A vote for Younes would allow the ruling party to overcome the most difficult hurdle in drafting the measure. If it passes the Senate, it must be adopted by the legislatures of 17 of Mexico’s 32 states, but is expected to have substantial support from the ruling party.
The plan has been widely criticized within and outside the country.
López Obrador, a populist who has historically opposed independent regulatory bodies, neglected courts and insulted judges, argues that his plan will fight corruption by making it easier to prosecute judges. Critics argue that it would weaken the judiciary, fill the courts with judges who support the president’s party, allow anyone with a law degree to become a judge, and even make it easier for politicians and criminals to influence the courts.
This has worried investors, prompting US Ambassador Ken Salazar to describe it as a “risk” to democracy and an economic threat.
