Mexico’s President Pursues Major Constitutional Reforms Ahead of June Elections, Reports Reuters

Mexico City – In a recent address, Mexico’s president unveiled extensive constitutional reforms aimed at transforming the judiciary, electoral laws, pension systems, and environmental standards, just months ahead of a presidential election.

“The proposed reforms aim to establish constitutional rights and enhance principles such as humanism, justice, honesty, austerity, and democracy,” President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated during a speech in Mexico City, coinciding with Mexico’s Constitution Day, a national holiday.

Although Lopez Obrador and his supporters lack the two-thirds supermajority required in Congress to amend the constitution, the reforms are anticipated to influence political discussions leading up to the presidential election in June.

Claudia Sheinbaum, the former mayor of Mexico City and the ruling party’s candidate, is currently leading in the polls to take over from Lopez Obrador, who is limited by law to one six-year term.

Among the 20 proposed constitutional reforms announced by Lopez Obrador are plans to reduce the number of lawmakers in both the Lower House of Congress and the Senate, implement direct voting for judges, and decrease funding for political campaigns and parties.

In addition, the reforms would implement annual increases in the minimum wage exceeding inflation rates, prohibit fracking and open-pit mining, restrict water concessions in regions facing water shortages, and boost scholarship programs for underprivileged children.

He emphasized that the objective of these reforms is to “reorient the state to serve the people.”

The proposed reforms are scheduled to be submitted to the Lower House of Congress for further discussion.