By Carola Rico
Itzel Peralta Perkins, executive member of district board number 02, located in San Miguel de Allende, spoke exclusively with Atencion about this historic electoral process in the country.
The INE official spoke about the revocation of the mandate, which stems from figures derived from the 2014 reform, where the INE was created and two forms of citizen participation were integrated: the popular consultation and the revocation of the mandate. She explained that the latter is a historical event because it is the first time it has been done. But she also added that it is here to stay.
Peralta Perkins explained that, from now on, during each six-year term, citizens will express whether or not they wish to hold an election to determine whether to continue with the mandate of the current president, or if it should be revoked. This will only apply to the post of president.
The State Electoral Institute has already installed the general council, the local councils, and those of the districts to carry on the process. The head of the INE in San Miguel explained that the electoral ban will take place from February 4 to April 10. At that time, citizens will issue their position regarding the revocation of the mandate of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
She further explained the electoral ban. It consists of suspending the dissemination in all media promoting public works of any order of government. However, Peralta stressed that said work actions should not be suspended, but they will no longer be done as public acts and there will be no inauguration or promotion of the same. The only informative government campaigns that will continue to be spread are those of: Health, Education and Civil Protection. During the process there will be surveillance by the political parties. The only promotional campaigns will be those of the INE. Starting on Monday, February 7, the different commissions will go to look for the citizens who will be part of the voting booths, then the approvals of the voting booths will be organized, all of this is carried out exactly the same as an ordinary electoral process, however, it is much more limited in time.
We also asked Itzel Peralta about her perception based on his experience of citizen participation in this revocation process; she stated that first of all this is historical. She explained that there is a unique behavior of participation in voting throughout the country; it always drops in midterm elections and rises during presidential elections. She explained that since this is a historical moment, the citizen will learn to act on the revocation of the mandate. She would not venture in giving specific figures or estimates, but she stated that citizen want it all to be explained and made clear.
Because of this, the State Electoral Institute plans on providing important dissemination information explaining to Mexicans how this new and historic process will be carried out and the importance of participation; one of the main tasks for the INE.
Itzel Peralta emphasized that the prohibition of political propaganda is so it would not affect the results of the mood of the citizens, either positively or negatively. She stressed that this is an exercise through which we will come to understand, over time, that it is an evaluation. The president is going to be accountable, and the citizens are going to decide whether or not the current government functions in our best interest of after those three or four years of governance. Thus, during these 63 days of electoral ban, the National Electoral Institute will concentrate its energies, its time, its material and human resources in the organization of a process for the exercise of the political rights of citizens. This is under the constitutional principles of legality, certainty, impartiality, objectivity, independence and maximum publicity.
The question that will appear on the ballots next April 10 will be: “Do you agree that Andrés Manuel López Obrador, president of the United Mexican States, should have his mandate revoked due to loss of confidence or continue in the presidency of the Republic until he finishes his term?”
