MEXICO CITY, April 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Sunday easily survived a referendum on whether he should step down or complete his term — a vote marred by low turnout, initial results showed.
The 68-year-old president, elected in 2018 for a six-year term, won a majority of around 90.3-91.9 percent in favor of his staying in office until 2024, according to a preliminary vote count by the National Electoral Institute.
The turnout rate was between 17 and 18.2 percent, meaning that even if Lopez Obrador had lost, the result would not have been legally binding.
Supporters of the referendum – the first of its kind in Mexico – said it was a way of increasing democratic accountability, giving voters the opportunity to remove the president due to loss of confidence.
“Now we have the chance to change what’s not right. There have been presidents who, after being elected by the people, ended up serving other interests,” Benigno Gasca, a 57-year-old mathematician and musician, said.
But critics saw it as expensive propaganda and an unnecessary distraction from the many challenges facing the country, including drug-related violence, poverty and the rising cost of living.
“It’s a useless exercise – money thrown away,” said Laura Gonzalez, a 62-year-old retired teacher.
Obrador cast his vote early on Sunday with his wife at a polling station near the presidential palace.
“Let no one forget that the people are in charge,” he declared afterwards.
Mexico’s constitution limits presidents to one term, and Obrador has vowed to retire in 2024, following accusations by opponents that the referendum was a step towards trying to stay in power beyond then.
Mario Delgado, leader of the ruling party Morena, said voters had recognised Obrador’s “dedication to the most needy and the enormous moral authority with which he governs.
“Only an indomitable, unwavering democrat like him can subject himself to a recall process,” he added.
But Marko Cortes, of the conservative opposition party PAN, said the vote was marked “by illegality, lies, manipulation and the diversion of public resources”.
Alejandro Moreno of the PRI, which ruled Mexico for seven decades until 2000, tweeted that Morena had turned the referendum into a “mockery” to “satisfy its own ego and continue deceiving Mexicans.”
Some 93 million voters were eligible to participate in the mid-term referendum, which was incorporated into Mexico’s constitution in 2019 at Obrador’s initiative.
Most of the signatures that were collected in order for the vote to happen came from his supporters.
Experts had predicted that a win could give impetus to Obrador’s policy agenda, such as controversial energy reforms.
The president also has his eye on the 2024 elections and the prospects for his party and possible successors, including Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum.
Obrador enjoyed an approval rating of 58 per cent in March, although that was far below a peak of 81 per cent seen in February 2019, according to a poll of polls by the Oraculus firm.
The president accused the National Electoral Institute before the vote of sabotaging the exercise in collusion with his political opponents by failing to do enough to promote it. — NNN-AGENCIES
