Background on Guadalupe Taddei and the INE
Guadalupe Taddei Zavala, the president of the Mexican National Electoral Institute (INE), acknowledged a shortage of resources to cover the voluntary retirements of over 970 workers who have requested their early exit from the electoral body.
The Resource Shortfall
In an interview with the media, Taddei Zavala explained that the INE only has enough funds to liquidate 461 of the 970 workers who have applied for their voluntary retirement, which is less than 50% of the cases.
“There were 970 applications, and we can only accommodate 461. We all know that we can request the voluntary retirement of workers with 10 years of service, but the expectations were very high among those in the entities and central offices,” she said.
Potential Reform Electoral Impact
Taddei Zavala did not rule out the possibility that the high number of requests is due to a potential electoral reform. However, she warned that the budget for this voluntary retirement program for workers with over 10 years of service has increased from 100 to 350 million pesos.
She also mentioned that in 2021, around 400 workers sought early liquidation, and in 2022, the number grew to 500. This increase coincided with discussions about a possible electoral reform, as the Plan A, B, C, and D of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador were being debated.
Concerns Over Potential Sanctions Against Consejeros
Taddei Zavala expressed concern over the possible imposition of administrative sanctions against members of the INE’s Consejo General.
“Of course, it’s concerning that such situations might increase in the future,” she said, referring to the Sala Superior del Tribunal Electoral’s decision to declare itself incompetent to analyze an impugnation against the administrative responsibility procedure initiated by the INE’s Internal Control Organ (OIC) against several council members who voted to suspend the 2021 revocación de mandato (mandate revocation) consultation.
“The concern will always exist that, based on interpretations and positions taken at a high level of responsibility by each Consejo member, they could become subjects of any investigation,” she added.
Uncertainty Surrounding Electoral Reform
After the Colegio de Ejecutivos Electorales de México (CEEM) submitted its electoral reform proposal to the INE for presentation to the Presidential Commission for Electoral Reform and the Legislative Power, Taddei acknowledged that there are no guarantees these documents will be incorporated into the eventual reform.
“What guarantee is there that these proposals will not only be submitted but also heard and considered by the Presidential Commission, leading to a reform that strengthens democracy rather than weakening the electoral bodies? The INE cannot provide this guarantee; those in charge will,” she stated.
CEEM’s Electoral Reform Proposals
The CEEM proposed conducting the 2033 elections entirely with electronic voting machines, reducing costs, eliminating local party prerogatives for national parties, standardizing preliminary results systems, and implementing a unified national ballot model.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the issue? The INE faces a resource shortage to cover voluntary retirements of over 970 workers.
- Who is Guadalupe Taddei? She is the president of Mexico’s National Electoral Institute (INE).
- Why is there a shortage? The INE only has funds to cover 461 of the 970 retirement requests, less than 50%.
- What might be causing the high demand for retirements? Taddei Zavala suggests it could be due to anticipation of an electoral reform.
- What concerns Taddei Zavala? She is worried about potential administrative sanctions against INE council members and the uncertainty surrounding electoral reform.
- What proposals did CEEM make? They suggested using electronic voting machines for all elections, reducing costs, eliminating local party advantages for national parties, standardizing preliminary results systems, and implementing a unified national ballot model.
