Risks to Mexican autonomous electoral bodies to endure

Significance

The failure of political parties in the Chamber of Deputies to agree on the appointments, amid allegations levelled against some candidates of political bias, meant that, for the first time since INE’s creation in 2014, they were made by random selection from sets of finalists.

Impacts

• The new Council’s first challenge will be the June 4 state elections in Coahuila and Mexico State, which may prove tense.
• The AMLO administration will continue to seek changes to electoral legislation in an effort to curb INE’s autonomy.
• Parties may seek to limit the remit of the Electoral Court, which acts independently, sometimes against party interests.