Between June 25 and July 2, a group of 60 international observers including academics, religious workers, and human rights activists, visited Mexico to investigate the conditions surrounding Mexico's July 2 federal elections. During the 7-day investigation, which included visits to some of the most impoverished and conflict-ridden states of the republic, the observers recorded a large degree of voter manipulation in poor, rural communities.
The delegation was organized by Global Exchange, an international human rights organization with consultative status before the United Nations, in conjunction with Alianza Civica, Mexico's premier electoral watchdog organization. The observers visited the states of Chiapas, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Yucatan, the State of Mexico, and the Huasteca region of Hidalgo.
During the past decade, Mexican society has made large gains in creating a more pluralistic political space for the nation's citizens. The work of the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE), Alianza Civica, local civil society groups, human rights organizations, and religious groups has been successful in establishing a more transparent and fair electoral system. Individual citizens' commitment to democratic principles has been particularly crucial to building a truly competitive political system.
As the ruling party's surprisingly heavy defeat in the July 2 elections proves, a majority of Mexicans feel confident that they can express their political beliefs at the voting booth without fear of repression or persecution. But the freedom to express one's political beliefs is still denied to many Mexican citizens for whom intimidation by government officials and caciques is a fact of life. And even for those citizens who enjoy a good deal of privilege--such as public employees like teachers, health workers and engineers--a failure to follow the party line may lead to harassment. If it is clear that electoral fraud committed by the PRI can no longer determine the final outcome of national political contests, incidents of vote-buying, coercion and intimidation remain of serious concern. Today in the poor, rural regions of the Mexican south a climate of fear grips many communities.
The vast majority of Mexicans have succeeded in creating for themselves a functioning democracy free from fear, but this freedom has yet to reach the nation's most vulnerable citizens. The next step in creating a truly inclusive political system is to bring democracy to those people.
The delegation concluded that although political intimidation did not occur on a scale large enough to manipulate the outcome of the presidential race, it certainly constitutes a serious human rights crisis as citizens are denied their rights of political expression.
Global Exchange's election-day observations revealed a country sharply divided by education, access to resources, and political culture. In Mexico City and most medium-sized communities, the voting process itself, though disorganized at times and occasionally troubled by confused voters, was largely in order. IFE regulations were consistently followed, and the delegation was impressed by local IFE officials' attempts to correct irregularities when they appeared. Nationally, the IFEs' vote-counting system was impressively transparent and fast, eliminating any doubt about whether the votes people cast were respected.
But in most of the communities where the Global Exchange observers were stationed voting day was marred by often flagrant violations of the electoral code. In the days immediately preceding the vote, episodes of vote-buying, coercion, and intimidation were commonplace.
Among other findings, the June 25-July 2 electoral observation delegation concluded that:
* Mexican society's admirable, and largely successful, efforts at eliminating election day abuses have not yet extended to the country's poorest and most marginalized communities. On election day the large presence of unofficial PRI partisans at many voting booths interfered with the voting and set a tone of intimidation. In some cases, voters' basic right to a secret vote was not guaranteed. For example, in a several instances polling places were located inside or next to open and functioning municipal offices or military barracks. Throughout southern Mexico, and also in Mexico City, the observers witnessed PRI representatives distributing meals, bulk food, and farming equipment throughout election day.
* The greatest number of serious electoral violations occurred in the days immediately preceding July 2. Interviews and observation revealed a pattern of vote-buying and illegal campaigning across southern Mexico as the PRI, in a last ditch attempt to hold on to power, mobilized its party machine. Local party functionaries, apparently unconcerned about being prosecuted, openly committed electoral violations.
* The delegation found that in many communities of southern Mexico, a common practice was the offering of material assistance in exchange for a vote in favor of the ruling party. The Global Exchange observers uncovered twelve separate cases of vote-buying, all of these committed by the PRI. Global Exchange observers also witnessed a widespread violation of national electoral regulations prohibiting active campaigning after Wednesday, June 28.
* Municipal officials and representatives of the now defeated PRI used government systems and their public status to influence voters' decisions in favor of their candidate, or to intimidate and threaten opposition supporters, evidently with the confidence and knowledge that these violations would never be investigated or prosecuted. The delegation heard numerous testimonies from opposition supporters of harassment and intimidation, particularly in the marginalized and poor communities. In the majority of these testimonies individuals were threatened with the loss of economic programs, their social benefits or government jobs.
In conclusion, the result of this election is a turning point for the Mexican society towards the country's democratization. The changes made by the IFE, both administrative and structural, were a great success, resulting in the high participation and confidence in the electoral process by the Mexican people. Nevertheless, federal resources should continue to be made available to the IFE and they should continue to expand their authority. On the other hand, the efficiency of the Special Prosecutor for Electoral Crimes (FEPADE) and other judicial institutions that investigate electoral crimes should be examined. Democratic transition in Mexico will only be complete when each and every citizen has the confidence that all allegations of electoral crimes will be thoroughly investigated without fear of repercussion to themselves. Global Exchange calls for the new Mexican government to end the chronic state of impunity which has existed in Mexico, consistently violating the human and civil rights of its citizens most affected by the lack of economic equality. Finally Global Exchange considers the demilitarization of the rural, indigenous zones of the Southeast of Mexico of paramount importance and recommend that the new Government take this as a first step to respect the human rights of all Mexican citizens.
July 4, 2000
From: Ted Lewis <tedlewis@globalexchange.org>