Opinion 51

Unprecedented gender challenges for the Electoral Tribunal

When before candidates had to start with a defense of their place?

By Luisa Cantú

All eyes in the country should be on 12 names: the six and the six finalists to fill the two vacancies that will open in the Superior Chamber of the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary.

Needless to say, this body is fundamental for democracy in general, since it is in charge of settling controversies when there is an election, ensuring due process and defending our political rights; but additionally, in 2024 it will have unprecedented challenges in terms of gender and the obligation to provide certainty to the first election from which the first female president in our history will most likely emerge.

"It's time for women", "if women are going to repeat the patriarchal model of the arrangements, forgive me, we are screwed", "it's scary because I am an independent woman", are some of the phrases that have marked the process to define the standard bearers of the two leading blocs in the polls: Morena-PT-Green and PRI-PAN and PRD.

When did the candidates have to start with a defense of the place they occupy? Women are affected by violence -including political violence- that men are not, and this could affect the development of a fair process, so we need people capable of recognizing it and resolving the controversies that arise with a gender perspective.

In addition, the parties must nominate an equal number of men and women, not only in the 9 governorships but in all the positions in dispute and must not place them in places where they are likely to lose, so the Tribunal will surely also have a task in case of internal clashes in the parties.

Another new challenge is the Law 3 of 3, already constitutional, which prohibits those who have been sentenced for domestic violence or sexual offenses and those who are in debt for alimony to occupy positions of popular representation or public office, so this body will also have to resolve challenges to candidacies for this reason.

This Monday, September 25, the six will appear before the plenary of the Supreme Court at 11 a.m. and from there the ministers will choose the six that will make it to the Senate. It is worth reading their proposals and following their interviews to see who will be up to the challenge ahead.