Mexico Senate approves major political reforms
Source: AP
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's Senate has passed the most dramatic political reform attempt in decades that would allow re-election of federal legislators, create new election oversight and make the Attorney General's office independent from the executive.
The Senate approved the overall reform late Tuesday, but continued to debate certain details early Wednesday. The reform measure still has to be approved by the lower House.
With Tuesday's vote, the Senate will move on to energy reform and attempts to open Mexico's moribund, state-run oil industry to greater private investment — considered the most critical part of the reform package that President Enrique Pena Nieto is pushing to have passed before the end of this year.
The political reform would still limit presidents to a single, six-year term, but it would relax Mexico's ironclad ban on the re-election of other officials by allowing them to run for re-election and remain in office for up to 12 years. It also would allow independent candidates to run for public offices.
Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/mexico-senate-approves-major-political-reforms
El Universal (Mexico City), Avala Senado la reforma política en lo general
Reuters, Mexican Senate committees approve electoral reform
