Mexican President praises the first judge as a full success despite 13% voter turnout

Mexican President praises the first judge as a full success despite 13% voter turnout

in Mexico, the turnout is expected to be around 13 % in the first judicial election of the country, as the Mexican electoral authority Ine announced on Monday. While the government celebrated the course of the election as successful, analysts expressed concerns that the low participation could endanger an already controversial reform.

Voter participation and number of voters

President Claudia Sheinbaum Taxes to choose a total of 2,600 judges and magistrates, including all nine judges of the Supreme Court. The count will be completed by June 15, but ine officials estimated the turnout to be between 12.57 % and 13.32 %, based on several samples across the country.

success or lack of legitimacy?

Sheinbaum described the election process as "complete success" and referred to the independence of the voting and an inexpensive election campaign during a press conference in the morning. "Everything can be perfected. We will draw conclusions from the experience of yesterday to make improvements for 2027," she said, pointing out another choice in two years, in which over 1,000 additional judicial items are to be filled.

Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez noted that "the choice took place under peace and quiet conditions throughout the country" and added: "The turnout met the expectations. It was an innovative process that aroused the interest of the voters."

criticism of the candidates

The elections in mexico are not mandatory, and there is no minimum choice of choice to legitimize. Opinion research institutes had already warned of the Opposition and the complexity when choosing a large number of candidates due to a low voter turnout.

Alberto Ramos, a senior economist for Latin America at Goldman Sachs, said in a message that the low voter participation questioned the legitimacy of the process. He described the pre -selection process and the logistical organization as "crossed by controversy". "The vast majority of the approximately 3,400 candidates was largely unknown, many had little legal experience, and some of them showed questionable qualifications for the desired posts," he said.

background of the reform

Analyst Rodolfo Ramos from Bradesco was surprised by the low turnout, "given the high approval rate of Sheinbaum's high approval rate and the fact that the majority of Mexicans were for a direct election of the judges." Sheinbaum, which has taken over the project for the judicial elections from its predecessor and mentor, former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, supported the election as a means of democratizing the judiciary and combating corruption and nepotism.