Mexican Senate Approves Lopez Obrador's Electoral Reform

With 69 votes in favor and 53 votes against, the Mexican Senate on Wednesday approved "Plan B" of the electoral reform presented by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO).

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A week ago, AMLO presented a constitutional reform to create the National Institute of Elections and Consultations (INEC). Since this proposal was rejected by the Lower House, his "Plan B" aimed at modifying six secondary laws, which was approved by both chambers.

This latest bill reforms several laws and creates the General Law for the Means of Impugning Electoral Matters, said Alejandro Armenta, the president of the Senate's board of directors.

More specifically, the Mexican senators modified the Law of Electoral Institutions and Procedures, the Law of Political Parties, and the Law of the Judiciary of the Federation.

AMLO's Plan B was supported by the senators from the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), the Labor Party (PT) and the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM).

It was rejected by the opposition bench made up of the National Action Party (PAN), the Democratic Revolution Party ( PRD) and the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

"We approved the electoral reform's Plan B, after exhausting the 1,200 reserves that were proposed. We managed to strengthen democracy in Mexico. Mission accomplished," said Lucy Meza, a lawmaker from the leftist MORENA.