Historical Context of Mexico’s Judicial System
Mexico’s judicial system has long been criticized for its inefficiency and corruption since the nation’s founding. The judiciary has oscillated between subservience to the executive branch, abusing technicalities to protect privileges, and often being complicit with economic, political, and criminal interests.
The Promise of Popular Voting for Judges
Advocates of the recent judicial reform argue that popular voting for selecting judges and ministers will democratize the judicial power, hold judges accountable to citizens, and dismantle networks of power. However, these ideals have encountered a poorly managed process marked by improvisation, political control of candidates by Morena, informational inequality, and a lack of transparency.
Operational Chaos
- Voters will receive up to 13 ballots in some districts, choosing from thousands of unknown candidates.
- Access to radio and television was not permitted during the campaign.
- The electoral authority, INE, has altered rules over 100 times.
- Voters will not be able to observe the vote counting, which will take place behind closed doors without visible actas.
- Unused ballots will not be invalidated, creating a potential for fraud.
Unequal District Design
The design of judicial districts creates inequality, as some citizens will vote for more positions than others, violating the principle of one person, one vote. Meanwhile, candidates won’t have representatives in polling stations, while over 300,000 “observers” have been registered, many linked to Morena.
Gatopardism: Change for the Sake of Appearing Changed
The June 1 election does not represent transformation but rather an exercise in gatopardism, where everything changes to appear as if it has, while the status quo remains.
Personal Reflections on Voting
Despite the flaws, I will still cast my vote. Not out of belief in the process, but because I prefer to exercise my right rather than relinquish it, as some have chosen. Each person makes their decision based on conscience and their assessment of the situation.
Key Questions and Answers
- Will this election break away from judicial elites? No, as candidates were selected by committees from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, dominated by morenistas in a quota-sharing arrangement that perpetuates power structures. There is no evidence that merit, experience, or independence were primary criteria.
- Will this election transform the justice system? No, as changing the selection method without addressing corrupting structures does not resolve the issues. The form may change, but the substance remains.
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