Mexican President Receives Overwhelming Support in 'Self-Recall Vote' Despite Only Around 10% Turnout

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, President of Mexico [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador received overwhelming support as expected in the 'self-initiated national recall referendum' asking whether he should continue his term. However, since only his active supporter base participated in the vote, the turnout fell far short of the valid threshold of 40%, rendering the vote ineffective.

According to Bloomberg on the 10th (local time), Mexico's National Electoral Institute (INE) announced that President Lopez Obrador's support for continuing his term appeared to have received 90.3% to 91.9% of the votes. Responses favoring the president's recall mid-term were estimated to account for only 6.4% to 7.8% of the votes.

INE stated that the turnout was expected to be between a minimum of 17% and a maximum of 18.2%. Since the referendum results must have a turnout exceeding 40% to be binding, this vote is effectively without any legal effect. President Lopez Obrador had previously stated that he would abide by the results regardless of turnout.

This vote was the first presidential recall referendum in Mexico's history under its single six-year presidential term system, and it attracted attention because the initiator of the recall vote was none other than President Lopez Obrador himself. Having taken office in December 2018, President Lopez Obrador promised during his candidacy that he would ask the public for a vote of confidence midway through his term.

Foreign media reported that the low turnout and overwhelming confidence were predicted even before the vote, and the opposition criticized the president for wasting public funds and manpower on a 'self recall referendum' aimed at consolidating his support base. Carlos Peterson, a researcher at Eurasia Group, assessed that "the election results are unlikely to have meaningful policy or political impact."

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