The current Mexican Constitution was written in 1917. Photo: AS México

By KELIN DILLON

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) announced his pursuit of three significant changes to the Mexican Constitution on Tuesday, June 15, focusing on reforms to the document’s electrical, electoral and military sections.

López Obrador proposed constitutional electrical reform seeks to strengthen the state-owned Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) so that standard users will not pay higher rates than corporations. 

“The law has not yet been published and its freezes have begun by the judges,” said AMLO, referring to his now-suspended controversial electricity law. “So what is left for me to do? Present a constitutional reform on electricity concerns.”

The president then went on to electoral matters, claiming a reform of the National Electoral Institute (INE) would be necessary to make sure “conservatism does not dominate” during the voting process, and likewise seek to reduce the costs of the voting process, which amount to an estimated 20 billion pesos per election.

AMLO suggested his reform would also do away with deputies who are appointed but not directly voted into office, “so that there is full democracy.”

Finally, López Obrador announced his intention to absorb the rapidly-expanding National Guard into Mexico’s military, “so that it doesn’t go to waste” like the Federal Police.

“That is why I am going to propose that the National Guard be part of the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena).”

The contentious National Guard, created in 2019, is currently a part of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), though most of its troops have been sourced from the country’s army.

The electoral reform would be sent to Congress in 2022, while the military changes would be submitted during 2023, said López Obrador.

AMLO made sure to announce his new initiatives at the end of his daily press conference, barring all reporters from asking questions further into proposed constitutional reforms before its conclusion.

The current iteration of the Mexican Constitution has been in place since 1917, for over 100 years, although there have been many constitutional reforms and amendments over the years.