Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0241/02411.txt

Text File | 1991-06-25 | 27KB | 497 lines

$Unique_ID{COW02411}
$Pretitle{279}
$Title{Mexico
Politics and Government}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Embassy of Mexico, Washington DC}
$Affiliation{Embassy of Mexico, Washington DC}
$Subject{mexico
international
mexico's
secretariat
foreign
mexican
states
world
economic
political}
$Date{1990}
$Log{Table 1.*0241101.tab
Table 2.*0241102.tab
Table 3.*0241103.tab
}
Country:     Mexico
Book:        Mexico an Overview
Author:      Embassy of Mexico, Washington DC
Affiliation: Embassy of Mexico, Washington DC
Date:        1990

Politics and Government

     For more than half a century political stability has been one of the main
features of Mexican life. The building of modern Mexico is the result of the
search for an original pattern of development that fulfills the needs and
aspirations of the nation. The Revolution of 1910, the first major social
movement of the twentieth century, put an end to the 34-year dictatorship of
Porfirio Diaz and expressed the struggle of the Mexican people for political
freedom and democracy, social justice, control of national resources and
economic independence as well as the defense of sovereignty.

     The ideology of contemporary Mexico, commonly called Revolutionary
Nationalism, has its origins in the Constitution of 1917, that incorporated
the demands for which different factions and social groups fought during the
civil war period. The challenge of establishing a stable new political order
that could ensure a process of socio-economic transformation after a period of
intense violence and disruption was successfully confronted with the creation
of the National Revolutionary Party (PNR) in 1929. This party encompassed all
factions, wings an personalities who participated in the Revolution with the
purpose of unifying them in an institutional structure and of ensuring the
achievement of its goals. The political context made possible important
transformations of society such as agrarian reform, the nationalization of oil
industry and the expansion of the educational system to benefit large sectors
of the population. In 1938 the PNR became first the Party of Mexican
Revolution (PRM) under the presidency of Lazaro Cardenas and later in 1946
the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) as is currently named. The PRI is
the majority party in Mexico.

     Eight political parties representing all ideological trends participated
in the general elections of July, 1988: Partido Accion Nacional (Pan - 1946),
Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI - 1946), Partido Popular Socialista
(PPS - 1948), Partido Democrata Mexicano (PDM -  1978), Partido Mexicano
Socialista (PMS - 1978), Partido del Frente Cardenista de Reconstruccion
Nacional (PFCRN - 1978), Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores
(PRT - 1981) and Partido Autentico de la Revolucion Mexicana (PARM - 1984).

     Institutional continuity and socio-economic changes have been achieved
under the Revolution's regime. Transition from one administration to another
has occurred peacefully and in accordance with democratic rules of government.
Mexico has been able to adapt the pursuit of the objectives of the 1910 social
movement to the rapid and changing conditions of a modern, complex and
pluralistic society.

     The United Mexican States constitute a representative, democratic and
federal republic composed of sovereign states on internal matters but united
in a federation. The Mexican people have the inalienable right to choose the
form of government they desire. All power has its origins in the people and is
established for their benefit. The people are the holders and depositories of
the national sovereignty.

     The State fulfills its functions through the executive, legislative and
judiciary powers, each with its own sphere of activity clearly defined in the
Constitution. Consequently, the exercise of these powers may not be centered
in a single person or corporation.

a) Legislative Power

     The Legislative power is vested in the Congress, divided in two chambers,
the House of Representatives and the Senate.

     The House of Representatives (Camara de Diputados) is comprised of 500
popular representatives, elected every three years for direct vote. There is
one federal representative for each of the 300 electoral districts into which
the national territory is divided, who are elected by simple majority.

     The remaining 200 seats are apportioned to the political parties
following the principle of proportional representation which is applicable
only to those parties that do not obtain 60 or more representatives by simple
majority and get at least 1.5% of the total number of ballots which are
relevant to this purpose.

     The Senate consists of 64 members elected by direct, secret and universal
suffrage for a term of six years. Each state and the Federal District is
represented by two Senators regardless of its population. Half of the Senators
are renewed every three years.

     In the Congressional elections of July 6, 1988, the results for the
Senate were as follows:

[See Table 1.: Congressional elections of July 6, 1988, Senate]

     In regard to the House of Representatives, out of a total of 500 seats at
stake, the electoral results were the following:

[See Table 2.]

b) Executive Power

     Federal executive power lies in the President of the United Mexican
States or, as he is more commonly known, the President of the Republic. He is
Head of State and Chief of Government and enjoys the powers granted to him by
the Constitution. The President is elected by direct, secret and universal
suffrage for a single term of six years,  with no possibility of reelection
under any circumstance. He discharges his functions through a Cabinet composed
of 18 secretaries, the Mayor of the Federal District, the Attorney General's
Office and various descentralized and autonomous agencies.

     The runner-up in the 1988 Presidential elections was Mr. Cuauntemoc
Cardenas. Backed by the PFCRN and a coalition of parties, he garnered
5,956,988 or 31.12% of the votes. The other presidential candidates were, Mr.
Manuel J. Clouthier of the PAN, who received 3,267,159 or 17.07% of the votes;
Mr. Gumersindo Magana of the PDM who got 199,484 or 1.04% of the votes; and
Mrs. Rosario Ibarra of the PRT who garnered 80,052 or 0.42% of the votes cast.

     There are currently the following members of the Cabinet:

     - Secretariat of Internal Affairs.

     - Secretariat of Foreign Affairs.

     - Secretariat of National Defense.

     - Secretariat of the Navy.

     - Secretariat of the Treasury and Public Credit.

     - Secretariat of Planning and Budget.

     - Secretariat of the General Comptrollership of the Federation.

     - Secretariat of Energy, Mining and Parastatal Industry.

     - Secretariat of Commerce and Industrial Development.

     - Secretariat of Agriculture and Water Resources.

     - Secretariat of Communications and Transportation.

     - Secretariat of Urban Development and Ecology.

     - Secretariat of Public Education.

     - Secretariat of Health.

     - Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare.

     - Secretariat of the Agrarian Reform.

     - Secretariat of Tourism.

     - Secretariat of Fisheries.

     In the presidential election of July 6, 1988, Carlos Salinas de Gortari
of the PRI was elected by 9,641 votes, that is 50.36%  of the total votes
cast. He was sworn as the new President of Mexico for the term 1988-1994 the
first day of December of 1988.

c) Judiciary Power

     The Judiciary Branch dispenses justice in federal matters. Its highest
expression is the Supreme Court of Justice, composed of lifetime members
appointed by the President and ratified by the Senate.

     Federal Courts are competent to judge, among other questions, "amparo"
appeals initiated as a result of the violation of individual rights, acts by
federal authorities that violate or restrict the sovereignty of states or acts
by state authorities that impinge upon federal