The National Council of Indigenous Peoples (CNPI) rejected the creation of indigenous political parties in Oaxaca, arguing that the autonomy and self-determination of communities cannot be limited, conditioned, or subordinated to party structures.
The CNPI’s statement was released through a press release issued by the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI).
In the statement, they expressed concern that the Oaxaca State Electoral and Citizen Participation Institute (IEEPCO) conducted a consultation with Oaxaca communities to establish guidelines for recognizing a local political party with legal status as “indigenous.”
The consultation process promoted by IEEPCO could be aimed at regulating and determining the conditions under which a political party can claim to be “indigenous.” It does not appear to be intended to broaden the participation of indigenous peoples, they asserted.
The CNPI emphasized that communities have the right to nominate candidates directly, taking into account their cultural specificities and their own democratic mechanisms.
Indigenous consultations cannot be used to legitimize measures that, in practice, imply regression or restriction of previously recognized rights, in accordance with the principle of progressivity.
The CNPI mentioned that the IEEPCO (Oaxaca State Electoral Institute) has the duty to promote mechanisms that lead to the full political participation of Indigenous peoples, independent of partisan politics.
They stressed that they expect the political parties within the political party system to align themselves with the provisions of Article 20 of the Constitution. This article recognizes Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples and communities as subjects of public law.
According to the CNPI, Oaxaca is the state with the greatest ethnic and cultural diversity in the country and is not characterized by having “Indigenous” political parties. Furthermore, it is a leader in the recognition of the collective rights of Indigenous peoples.
Among these are the “independent indigenous candidacies” for the election of state representatives and governor.
Of the 570 municipalities that make up the state, 418 are governed by traditional customary law systems, where the General Community Assembly constitutes the highest authority for decision-making and the election of municipal officials.
They called on the electoral authorities and the Congress of the State of Oaxaca to carry out a comprehensive harmonization process.
On April 13, the Oaxaca electoral institute announced that it would launch a consultation process to facilitate the registration of indigenous political parties.
The president of the institute, Elizabeth Sánchez González, said it was urgent for indigenous and Afro-Mexican people to join these spaces for participation.
Source: angulo7
