Lawmakers approve reelection bill in the midst of an emergency

Mexican lawmakers have finally approved a reelection process for lawmakers for up to 4 consecutive periods , without having to resign or temporarily leave their positions. The bill was approved yesterday, in the middle of an epidemiological crisis sparked by COVID-19 , by Morena , PT , PES , and PVEM .

Although this had been approved by lawmakers six years ago, it lacked discussion, analysis, rules, and regulations that allowed them to carry our the reelection . In recent weeks, lawmakers started to discuss the pros and cons and one of the most controversial rules is whether or not lawmakers will have to resign or temporarily leave their position to start an electoral campaign .

Reelection would allow lawmakers to professionalize their legislative career and promote accountability since these measures will be essential to approve their candidacies, although it is also possible that politicians will argue that the fulfillment of their projects or the implementation of initiatives that could be conditioned to their permanence in Congress .

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Since 2014, when the reform that would allow lawmakers to reelect themselves several times was approved, it was argued that not leaving their positions to handle their campaigns would allow them to continue working on their initiatives . On the other hand, voters will evaluate their performance based on these initiatives and would prevent any interruption generated by the electoral process.

According to the new bill, the only restriction is not to proselytizing while inside the Lower Chamber and not using public funds for their campaigns.

Although the Senate has yet to approve the bill , the fact that lawmakers have to return to their districts every three years to show what they have achieved since taking office, similar to the U.S., is an opportunity to be held accountable by voters . This opportunity must be used by voters and politicians alike, in order to demands results that benefit society as a whole.

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