The Mexico City branch of the left-wing Citizens’ Movement party (MC) asked residents of the capital city to prevent traditional political parties from “diluting” the MC’s participation in the drafting of the city’s constitution.
During the opening of its campaign for the June 5 election of the Mexico City Constitutional Assembly, MC deputy René Cervera criticized the three traditional political parties, the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), the National Action Party (PAN) and the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), saying that they intended to write Mexico City’s first constitution “behind the backs of the citizens.” Cervera said that the MC, whose color is orange, hopes to be the voice of the citizens in the Constitutional Assembly.
Cervera said that the PRD, PAN and PRI are hoping for voter turnout no higher than 30 percent at the June 5 election, which would allow those parties to maintain their clientelist government structures.
Esthela Damián Peralta, president of the Mexico City branch of MC, said that the Constitution will only fulfill its potential if there is citizen participation in its drafting.
“We won’t allow them to kidnap the drafting of the Constitution; that process belongs to us,” said Damián. “It is our right to defend the causes that we have fought for so long in this city. We need to stay at the forefront of change, but we also can’t lose that which has given us life, that has sustained us, and that has oriented the most important national debates and discussions.”
We won’t allow them to kidnap the drafting of the Constitution; that process belongs to us.”
Esthela Damián Peralta, president of Mexico City branch of Citizens’ Movement
Damián also expressed disappointment that only eight independent candidates had been approved to run for the Constitutional Assembly.
MC said that at this stage in the development of the Constitution, citizens are within their rights to protest, but that it would me more valuable for them to make proposals, and that citizen proposals will be adopted by MC candidates.
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