Mexico's top court freezes electoral reform

25/3/2023 17:59

        Mexico's Supreme Court temporarily suspended on Friday parts of a controversial electoral reform pushed by the country's president, while also confirming it will consider a lawsuit from independent electoral institute INE that seeks to overturn it.
        
        The congressional electoral reform passed by allies of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador last month was a scaled-down version of a failed constitutional reform he originally sought, but it still managed to slash the institute's budget and headcount ahead of presidential elections next year.
        
        The court stressed in a statement that it has frozen the articles of the reform challenged by INE.
        
        Late last month, Mexico's Senate gave its final approval to the electoral reform known locally as "Plan B," which critics warn will undermine democracy since it significantly downsizes the INE while giving more power to local officials, many of whom are members of Lopez Obrador's MORENA party.
        
        Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets days after lawmakers approved the reform, in one of the largest protests so far against Lopez Obrador's four-year-old administration.