Mexico: “Yes” in favor of President López Obrador triumphs with insufficient turnout

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – With less than 20% turnout, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador obtained an overwhelming 90% of the voters’ support on April 10 in the recall referendum to continue his mandate until 2024.

Between 90.3% and 91.9% of the voters who went to the polls voted in favor of the president continuing in office for the remaining three years of his term, while between 6.4% and 7.8% preferred the recall, informed the president of INE, Lorenzo Córdova, according to a first preliminary count.

According to INE’s preliminary results, the turnout was between 17% and 18.2% of the voters, a figure far from the 40% needed for the consultation to be binding.

According to some analysts, the low turnout constitutes a political setback for López Obrador and an endorsement of the opposition parties, even though the president’s party, Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (Morena), was celebrating.

López Obrador was happy with the result of the consultation.

“Love is paid with love. I will never betray them; I will never betray the people of Mexico. I am staying, and we will continue with the transformation of our country,” assured López Obrador in a message he shared on his social networks about the preliminary results presented by the National Electoral Institute (INE).

“All over the country, people looked for the polling station and mobilized, as they could, and went to fulfill the commitment to enforce democracy,” he continued.

Mario Delgado, national leader of López Obrador’s party, Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (Morena), was also satisfied at a press conference and even wore a T-shirt with the phrase “Tengan para que aprendan.”

“The president was scratched,” he said, referring to the fact that the president achieved a better result than expected.

INE’s counselors considered that being the first time this type of consultation is held, the participation was limited but not as much as could be expected since, in federal elections, it usually hovers around 50%.

The voting day was uneventful, without major altercations, and INE qualified the day as a success since, in a few hours, practically 100% of the polling stations (mesas) had been installed.

Lorenzo Córdova said after presenting the preliminary results: “I congratulate the citizens, the staff of @INEMexico, and all those who made possible an exemplary civic day. Once again, our electoral system worked and delivered for Mexico.”

However, throughout the day, several Morena politicians criticized INE for installing a third of the tables placed in previous elections or the shortage of ballots in some polling stations.

In addition, Morena state governors signed a document in which they celebrated “the success of the day even though the INE did everything possible to prevent the participation of the people”.

But Morenista politicians were also the subject of controversy, such as the national leader of López Obrador’s party, Mario Delgado, who published an image in which he appears next to a vehicle inviting voters on social networks to take him to vote.

More than 92.8 million Mexicans over 18 years of age were called to the polls on April 10.

The recall referendum, which opposition parties have opposed by recommending not to participate in the vote, was considered valid or binding if 40% of the people registered in the voter’s nominal list participated, that is, close to 37 million people.

The participation of less than 20 % is below what López Obrador expected to give a new impulse to his political projects for the remainder of his mandate until 2024.

The question on the ballots was: “Do you agree that Andrés Manuel López Obrador, President of the United Mexican States, should have his mandate revoked due to loss of confidence or continue in the Presidency of the Republic until the end of his term?”.

And the two answer options were: “His mandate should be revoked due to loss of confidence” or “He should continue in the Presidency of the Republic”.

With information from EFE