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News Around the Republic of Mexico | December 2005
Young Mexican Voters Present Their Demands to Presidential Contenders Associated Press
| Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the Democratic Revolution Party. |
| Felipe Calderon of the National Action Party. |
| Roberto Madrazo of the Institutional Revolutionary Party. | Mexico City – A group of young Mexican political activists on Wednesday presented a list of demands for the nation's next leader, including that he grant voters the right to kick him out of office.
Called "The National Youth Agenda: Priorities for 2006-2012," the list also calls for the re-election of federal legislators, which currently is not permitted under Mexican law, and suggests that no more than 70 percent of candidates to political offices should be of the same gender.
The young activists also asked for the passage of a law allowing a popular referendum to recall the president – Congress is currently the only body that can remove a leader from office – for the revision of free trade agreements, and for increased government funding for science and technology.
The group, which presented its list of priorities at a news conference, comprises young members of political parties and civic organizations.
Mexicans ages 18 to 34 account for 45 percent of the 71 million people registered to vote in Mexico's 2006 presidential elections, according to the Federal Electoral Institute.
Helping to draw up the list were the Institutional Revolutionary Party, the Democratic Revolution Party, the smaller Convergence Party, and the Alternative Social Democrat and Peasant Party.
Jesus Figueroa, who helped organize the project, said the group plans to send its demands to each of the country's three main presidential candidates.
"I hope they have the sensitivity to listen to us," Figueroa said. |
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