By: Terry Ahtziry Cardenas Banda, attorney, social activist, philanthropist, and law professor.
As each election day, the past June 6 marks a historic day for Mexico, citizenship participation is still not ideal, however, a large number of citizens responded to their call and fulfilled their civic duty to go out and vote.
What we should make clear after these elections: it is clear that we are still leaving the vote to a few, although the polls were full and in many sectors, there was high citizenship participation, it is clear that we still did not reach more than 55% of Citizenship participation at the federal level and at the state level we have not even reached 40%, we lack not only the commitment of our government but also of ourselves to act where we have to, from the citizenship trench. However, it is to be recognized that citizenship participation increased since the last elections at the federal level, this past June 6 a 52.67% of citizenship participation was reached, on the other hand, at the state level in Baja California the participation did not reach 50% it stayed at 38.50%.
Additionally, it is important to recognize and emphasize that in the Congress of the Union no party or alliance has reached an absolute majority, this would not allow them to make constitutional changes without the approval of the opposition parties. By obtaining a diverse Congress, in where the different ideologies and the different interests of our population are represented, it guarantees the protection of everyone’s rights, since in recent years we have been able to observe that a Congress painted in a single color does not allow the different voices and needs of all those who make up the country to be heard. Today we find an electoral triumph by deciding not to have an absolute majority of a single party in Congress. This decision of the people requires our Congress to dialogue among all, to reach agreements that benefit all and not just a few, but above all to carry out work with due analysis, and review, since little of that was done in the recent years, now in order to pass a constitutional reform, it must be approved not only by a bench but also by those opposed to the simple majority.
As long as democracy and diversity continue to prevail in our society, we can say that we have triumphed, but when authoritarianism is stifled, and the decisions of only a few control our country, we will hardly see a beneficial advance for the country and its citizens, much less achieve a country that guarantees the protection of the everyone’s rights.
Although they were decisive elections that set the tone for the future and the next elections, there is hope to continue believing in democracy or at least to recognize that not everything is lost, it is clear that we cannot win in everything but we must accept both triumphs and defeats, in order to work on what is most needed and demand that our leaders ensure the well-being of all the people, demand that they broaden their spectrum and observe the true needs of the country.
We can be dissatisfied with some of the results and distrust our democracy, however, our Constitution continues to guarantee means of defense for all, it is up to the different authorities to listen to the disagreements and in accordance with the law respond to them. We continue to have the means that guarantee our rights, we must always ensure that we continue to have a country with a rule of law, and when it is attacked, we cannot remain silent, we must act, and not leave the work to others, we all need to raise our voice and demand that the law and our rights be guarantee.
We must continue to demand reforms that not only have good intentions but also a good study, analysis, and, above all, that are carried out in accordance with the law and on time. Despite the uncertainty that some may continue to have and the disappointment of others, we have no choice but to trust the process, trust in our institutional figures, and, above all, do what we must to form our own trenches. As governors exercise their mandate with honor, dedication, and attachment to the rule of law, ensuring the interest of all people not only by political party interests and of only some groups; as citizens, demand that the government respect our rights, look after our interests and when they not, thus, use the means of defense enshrined in our constitution to seek to fulfill and protect the common interest for the good of our country.