Citizen Power takes its fight against the judicial election to the INE

The headquarters of the National Electoral Institute (INE) in Viaducto Tlalpan, south of Mexico City, became the scene of a new chapter in the battle for the future of the judiciary on June 19. Members of the "Poder Ciudadano MX" group demonstrated and filed a challenge to the recent judicial election, an unprecedented process central to the current government's reform agenda.

This action, which adds to the challenge already filed by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), consolidates an opposition front seeking to annul the election results, citing serious irregularities and a lack of fairness.

The Convergence of the Opposition: Parties and Citizens United in Rejection

The significance of the day is the convergence of diverse actors—a traditional political party and a citizen group—with a common goal: to invalidate the judicial election. While the PRI has described the process as a "fraud orchestrated by those in power," the arguments of groups like Poder Ciudadano MX focus on the lack of conditions for a fair election and the alleged government intervention to favor its candidates.

The presence of protesters at the INE facilities seeks not only to comply with a legal procedure but also to exert media and public pressure on the electoral authorities. The protests were scheduled for two different times of day, at 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., to maximize their impact.

A Novel and Controversial Process from its Origin

The election of ministers, magistrates, and judges by popular vote was the result of a constitutional reform approved in September 2024, with the aim, according to its proponents, of democratizing the justice system and making it more accessible to the people.

However, since its inception, the process has been surrounded by controversy. Critics argue that it politicizes the administration of justice and opens the door for individuals without the necessary technical capacity to reach the country's highest courts. The election rules, which prohibited political parties from participating in promoting candidates, were one of the most debated points.

"This election was designed to exclude and favor those in power; the popular will was distorted because pro-government groups controlled the election and appropriated the results," the PRI argued in its own challenge, a sentiment echoed in the citizen protests.

The Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judicial Branch (TEPJF) will be the final court to decide on the validity of these challenges. Its ruling will not only determine the future of the 881 judicial positions at stake, but will also set a crucial precedent regarding the scope and limits of citizen participation in the formation of one of the three branches of government of the Union.