Mexico City, May 4 (EFE) .- The presidents of the Chamber of Senators and Deputies of Mexico, Gerardo Fernández Noroña and Sergio Gutiérrez Luna, respectively, formally requested this Sunday from the National Electoral Institute (INE) the cancellation of the registration of 18 candidates in the judicial election that took place on June 1.
In a statement, they stated that the 18 people listed do not meet the constitutional requirement of “enjoying good reputation”, for being linked to current federal criminal investigations, including serious crimes such as sexual abuse, peculation, threats, injuries and organized crime.
In addition, that eight more candidates do not comply with the general average of qualification in bachelor’s degree of at least eight points.
The note pointed out that the report presented “accredits the existence of research folders and arrest warrants against some of these people.”
And it is also documented that some of them “have acted as defenders of individuals related to organized crime”, which compromises their impartiality and represents a conflict of interest.
“The election by popular vote does not exempt from compliance with the ethical and constitutional requirements to access the judicial function,” said Gutiérrez Luna and insisted that suitability is not only a legal issue, but an ethical imperative to protect the legitimacy of the Judiciary.
On the other hand, in the candidacies challenged by academic eligibility that correspond to positions of judges, judges and magistrates in different circuits and rooms of the country, the documented averages range from 7.0 to 7.93.
“This directly affects the suitability of aspiring people and demonstrates a breach of the legal basis of the process,” he said.
“The academic demand is not a procedure, but a minimum parameter of professional and ethical quality,” added Gutiérrez Luna.
Finally, they asked the INE to proceed to cancel the records of these candidacies to, they said, “preserve the integrity, impartiality and public confidence in those who will be responsible for providing justice in the country.
On April 23, Fernández Noroña, warned that the Upper Chamber would challenge before the Electoral Court of the Judicial Power of the Federation (TEPJF) to twenty candidates for judges, in the election of next June 1, allegedly linked to drug trafficking.
A day before, Fernández Noroña exposed to media that they had “detected some drug dealers who are wanting to access” the judiciary through judicial elections.
On June 1, 2025, Mexico will have its first election to the Judiciary, when a record of 99.7 million voters are called to choose for the first time 881 positions between 3,422 candidates, which include the Supreme Court, the new court of judicial discipline and the Electoral Court.
The campaigns, which began on March 30 and will end on May 28, have had opposition alerts, international organizations such as the UN, current judges and civil associations of a possible interference of the Executive Power and organized crime in the elections. EFE
