Former candidate files complaint

The former gubernatorial candidate of the Democratic Revolution Party Jaime Martínez has filed a complaint with the Mexican Attorney General’s Office alleging corruption on the part of Baja California lawmakers.

Martínez, also a former Mexican official during the presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto, based the complaint on the statements made by the Assembly speaker, who said weeks before the July 8 vote to extend Gov.-elect Jaime Bonilla’s term to five years that Mexican officials offered $1 million per vote.

The Assembly voted 21-1 to extend incoming Gov. Jaime Bonilla’s term from two years to five, which would delay aligning Mexican and local elections until 2024, instead of 2021.

The term is a one-time exception. The Constitution sets the normal term at six years.

Martínez also questioned the support expressed by the President’s Undersecretary of Government Ricardo Peralta for the bill.

“The Assembly speaker must explain the offer made of $1 million,” the party’s National Chair Fernando Belaunzarán told reporters. “We have a president who threatens justices for their decisions, but does not address a constitutional violation that also opens doors to de facto (presidential) re-election.”

Recent legislation allowed elected officials to run for re-election, except the president and governors.

National committee member Angel Avila Romero said his party will do everything possible to stop the so-called political reform.

The leftwing party has filed a request in Congress to impeach the 21 lawmakers who voted for the term extension, Avila Romero said.