| | |  News Around the Republic of Mexico 
Reform to Benefit Citizens and their Rights: Calderón
 Suzanne Stephens Waller - Presidencia de la República
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January 27, 2010
| | It is time to expand Mexicans’ political rights: President Calderón declares that political reform gives citizens a say. (Presidencia de la República) | |
Puebla, Puebla - President Felipe Calderón declared that the Political Reform being promoted by his government empowers citizens, since it will enable them to have a say in the debate on national issues.
“It is time to expand the political rights of Mexicans, particularly those that repeatedly express their dissatisfaction with the way democracy works in this country," he said.
At the start of the Plenary Meeting of National Action Party Delegates, the President declared that this initiative will face many obstacles, myths, prejudices and interests that will have to be overcome to ensure that the Reform is carried out.
“No-one belonging to a political party can say that his reasons are more important than citizens' demands to make democracy not only an electoral system and effective suffrage but a system that responds to society’s concerns and needs, in other words, effective democracy. We must shift from effective suffrage to effective democracy,” he said.
In this respect, he said that politicians cannot ignore citizens’ wishes or their demands and suggestions. He therefore called for a debate to be held and to create a current of opinion that will promote the changes required by the country.
“And I am fully aware that if this debate is carried out properly, it will enrich the country. And I am also aware that many people will oppose it, for many reasons. But those that encourage party machinery over citizens will undoubtedly continue to opt for a closed political system under their control," he said.
Accompanied by César Nava Vázquez, President of the PAN's CEN, and Josefina Vázquez Mota, coordinator of the PAN delegates, the Mexican president urged them to promote and defend this reform, in order to facilitate the construction of agreements to enable Mexico to overcome the immobility and irresponsibility of political actors and set off on the route to development.
President Calderón listed the ten points proposed by the reform to create a new relationship between society and its authorities and between the three branches of government and the various orders of government and to help the Mexican democratic system open the doors to citizens' public decisions.
“Whoever thinks that citizens are incapable of distinguishing between what is good for them and what is not are starting out from a false premise. This effort at transformation should be led by citizens,” he explained.
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