Within months of the tumultuous July 2006 presidential elections which put Felipe Calderón in office - amid accusations of electoral fraud which saw the defeated candidate proclaim himself the legitimate president of the country - a seminar jointly organized by International IDEA and the Law Research Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (IIJ) examined the legal framework of elections in Mexico. The political events of the preceding period made clear the need to reform Mexican electoral laws and to initiate further political reforms relating to governance.
The seminar on Constitution, Democracy, and Elections: the Coming Reform held on 12-16 February 2007 in Mexico addressed issues such as political parties, the role of the media in democracy and elections, political financing, accountability, electoral administration, political representation, judicial electoral review mechanisms and the nature of political campaigns.
More than 400 people participated in the seminar, and 140 representatives ofpolitical parties, legislators, academics, politicians and electoral bodies followed the seminar throughout the country via internet.
The Seminar aimed to make a direct political impact on the debates before both Houses of the Mexican Congress. In addition, International IDEA is aiming to acquire consultative status with the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies to assist with the promotion of reform. Of immediate interest is the state reform legislation, recently approved by the Senate, which demands the presentation of electoral reform proposals by the end of 2007.
The seminar on Constitution, Democracy, and Elections: the Coming Reform forms part of International IDEA’s work with Mexican partners to achieve the consolidation of democracy, the re-establishment of political dialogue and the credibility of electoral institutions.
