GOVERNMENT
The 1917
constitution provides for a federal republic with powers separated
into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
Historically, the executive is the dominant branch, with power
vested in the president, who promulgates and executes the laws
of the Congress. The Congress has played an increasingly important
role since 1997 when opposition parties first made major gains.
The president also legislates by executive decree in certain economic
and financial fields, using powers delegated from the Congress.
The president is elected by universal adult suffrage for a 6-year
term and may not hold office a second time. There is no vice president;
in the event of the removal or death of the president, a provisional
president is elected by the Congress.
The Congress
is composed of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies. Consecutive
re-election is prohibited. Senators are elected to 6-year terms,
and deputies serve 3-year terms. The Senate’s 128 seats
are filled by a mixture of direct-election and proportional representation.
In the lower chamber, 300 deputies are directly elected to represent
single-member districts, and 200 are selected by a modified form
of proportional representation from five electoral regions. The
200 proportional representation seats were created to help smaller
parties gain access to the Chamber.
The judiciary is divided into federal and state court systems, with federal courts having jurisdiction over most civil cases and those involving major felonies. Under the constitution, trial and sentencing must be completed within 12 months of arrest for crimes that would carry at least a 2-year sentence. In practice, the judicial system often does not meet this requirement. Trial is by judge, not jury, in most criminal cases. Defendants have a right to counsel, and public defenders are available. Other rights include defense against self-incrimination, the right to confront one's accusers, and the right to a public trial. Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president and approved by the Senate. (See "Reforms" below for comments on judicial reform currently underway.)
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
President Felipe Calderon of the PAN was elected in 2006 in an extremely tight race, with a margin of less than one percent separating his vote total from that of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ("AMLO") of the left-of-center Democratic Revolution Party (PRD). AMLO contested the results of the election, alleging that it was marred by widespread fraud. Mexico's Federal Electoral Tribunal, while acknowledging the presence of randomly-distributed irregularities, rejected AMLO's accusation of widespread fraud and upheld Calderon's victory on September 5, 2006.
In the 2006 elections, the PAN emerged as the largest party in both the Senate
and the Chamber of Deputies, with just over 40% of the seats in each house of
Congress. It does not enjoy a legislative majority. Although the PRI no longer
controls the presidency or a majority in Congress, it remains a significant
force in Mexican politics, holding 18 governorships and often playing a pivotal
role in forming coalitions in Congress. The next congressional elections--for
all 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies--will take place on July 5, 2009.
Reforms
One of President Fox's most important reforms was the passage and implementation
of freedom of information (FOIA) laws. President Fox also highlighted the need
for modernization of Mexico's criminal justice system, including the
introduction of oral trials. Judicial reforms stalled at the federal level
during the Fox years, but President Calderon succeeded in passing legislation to
reform the federal judicial system in 2008. The reform legislation set a
timetable of eight years for full implementation.
In addition to judicial reform, President Calderon has also succeeded in
negotiating with Congress to pass important fiscal, electoral, energy, and
pension reforms. The administration is grappling with many economic challenges,
including the need to upgrade infrastructure, modernize labor laws, and make the
energy sector more competitive. Calderon has stated that his top economic
priorities remain reducing poverty and creating jobs, and some administration
officials alluded in early 2009 to additional fiscal reforms in the coming
year.
Principal
Government Officials
President--Felipe CALDERON Hinojosa
Foreign Secretary--Patricia ESPINOSA Cantellano
Ambassador to the U.S.--Arturo SARUKHAN Casamitjana
Ambassador to the United Nations--Claude HELLER Rouassant
Ambassador to the OAS--Gustavo ALBIN
Mexico maintains an embassy in the United States at 1911 Pennsylvania
Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006 (tel. 202-728-1600). Consular offices
are located at 2827 - 16th St. NW, 20009 (tel. 202-736-1012),
and the trade office is co-located at the embassy (tel. 202-728-1686).
Besides its embassy, Mexico maintains 48 diplomatic offices
in the U.S. Consulates general are located in Chicago, Dallas,
Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New
York, San Antonio, San Diego, and San Francisco; consulates are
(partial listing) in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia,
Seattle, St. Louis, and Tucson.
