Mexico's government strengthens influence in the Supreme Court after elections with shrinkage

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After the first judicial election in Mexico, the ruling party Morena has gained control of the Supreme Court, while the choice of low voter participation and abuse of power was overshadowed.

Nach der ersten richterlichen Wahl in Mexiko hat die regierende Partei Morena die Kontrolle über den Obersten Gerichtshof erlangt, während die Wahl von niedriger Wahlbeteiligung und Machtmissbrauch überschattet wurde.
After the first judicial election in Mexico, the ruling party Morena has gained control of the Supreme Court, while the choice of low voter participation and abuse of power was overshadowed.

Mexico's government strengthens influence in the Supreme Court after elections with shrinkage

The ruling party Moren in Mexico has according to the first of the country in control of the top court courtyard taken over. These elections were overshadowed by low voter participation and allegations of abuse of power.

election results and their effects

The preliminary results of the election Sunday show that candidates who are connected to Morena have won the most seats in the Justiwesen. With this victory, the party will now have any government violence under control, which is regarded by advocates of democracy as a weakening of the separation of powers in the country.

risks for democracy

critics also warn that the choice itself is a threat to democracy. They argue that the choice of judges about the people could endanger the independent rights of discretion of the courts, which would affect their ability to maintain the law and to control other powers in a time widespread crime and corruption.

low voter turnout

of around 100 million citizens entitled to vote only about 13 % took part in the election. Experts attribute the low participation to confusion among the voters, which were overwhelmed by the large number of offices and candidates.

criticism of the election process

Víctor Manuel Alarcón Olguín, research professor at the UAM-AthaPalapa with a focus on political parties and elections, criticized the design of the election process. He explained that the legislators of the electoral authority "did not provide sufficiently clearly defined method and the electoral authority had to solve many of these technical problems ad hoc to at least try to make the system functional."

The candidates

The nine, probably elected members of the Supreme Court, includes three incumbent judges who were nominated by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the founder of Morena. Other candidates include a former legal advisor from López Obrador, the current human rights officer of the Attorney General and an indigenous member who will probably become the next president of the court.

"At best, many of these people show no obvious belonging or participation in the governing party, but they have very different interests or connections or at least ideological or manifest affinities that put them in a very narrow circle," said Alarcón Olguín.

criticism of the election practices

All nine candidates were shown in leaflets that distributed members of Morena to voters in order to pronounce their recommendations for whom they should vote for. The electoral rules prohibit political parties to promote or support legal candidates.

official reactions

The Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the leader of Morena, tries to distance herself from the leaflets, condemned their use and asked for an investigation into the incident.

First election day at different levels

The election day marked the first time that a country has carried out elections at all levels of the judiciary. Almost 900 federal offices in the race, including all nine seats in the Supreme Court, and about 1.800 Local positions in 19 states. The votes will continue to be counted across the country, and the results will be gradually announced in the course of the next week. A second choice for hundreds of other judicial offices will be held in 2027.

evaluation of the election

Sheinbaum described the election on Sunday as a success. "In Mexico, voting is voluntary. It is not mandatory. In some countries it is mandatory, but here - here it is free, directly, universal and secret. So 13 million people have decided to participate in an electoral system for the judiciary. That is very good," she said.

Reformer approach in the judiciary

lópez Obrador and his party approved the In September and argued that a referendum helped Dignity, corruption and impunity to contain in the courts. However, critics fear that Morena will use her popularity to choose like -minded judges to enforce reforms that were previously blocked by more objective dishes. There is also concern that the choice of political actors and criminal groups could be influenced.

resignation and realignment

Eight judges of the Supreme Court, who had 11 members at the time, gave their