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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | November 2006 
European Union Team Slams High Costs
 El Universal
| | Mexico's elections are the most expensive in Latin America and among the most expensive in the world. |
A day after electoral authorities announced a US$64 million increase in federal funding for political parties, a report from the European Union electoral observation team slammed the Mexican system for having the most expensive elections in Latin America.
The EU mission, headed by Spanish Deputy José Ignacio Salafranca, said on Thursday that a runoff election would help the nation´s electoral system, especially following results as close as this year´s, when Felipe Calderón beat Andrés Manuel López Obrador by less than a percentage point.
In a news conference, Salafranca said that while a second round would be expensive, it would give "greater democratic legitimacy" to the result.
He added the extra cost could be compensated by reducing the lengthy campaign period, which begins a full six months before the election, and reducing the amount of federal funding for the campaigns - "the most expensive in Latin America and among the most expensive in the world."
Salafranca was accompanied by Luis Carlos Ugalde, head of the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE), the regulatory body that oversees the electoral process.
Ugalde defended the increase in spending for political parties, saying the IFE was only carrying out the letter of the law.
"The IFE doesn´t decide (on parties´ funding), the IFE applies a formula that is laid out by the law," Ugalde said. "It´s the responsibility of Congress to modify the law if it´s considered inadequate."
All of Mexico´s major parties have called for reforms to electoral laws, including clearer limits on funding, greater transparency on campaign spending and a shorter campaign period.
Salafranca also defended the outcome of the July 2 presidential election, which López Obrador and his Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) claim was tainted by fraud. |
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