Morena lawmaker proposes electing audit and prosecutor chiefs by popular vote

Morena lawmaker Carlos Ignacio Mier Bañuelos has proposed constitutional reforms that would put the heads of Mexico's federal and state prosecutors' offices, as well as the Federal Superior Audit Office, to a popular vote.

One proposal says democratic legitimacy would not replace technical ability, professional experience or constitutional autonomy, but would complement them. Mier's initiatives point to Mexico's judicial reform, which established the popular election of judges and magistrates in 2025.

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Democratic legitimacy does not replace technical ability, professional experience or constitutional autonomy; it complements them.

The federal attorney general is currently appointed by the Senate from a shortlist proposed by the presidency. The head of the Federal Superior Audit Office is chosen by the Chamber of Deputies with the support of two-thirds of members present, following a public call.

Mier's document says that if the current model recognizes that essential state functions can gain an additional source of legitimacy from the popular will, there is no obstacle to considering the same principle for those who lead the federal and state prosecutors' offices.

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If the current model recognizes that certain essential functions of the state can find an additional source of legitimacy in the popular will, there is no impediment to analyzing whether that same principle can apply to those who head the Federal Prosecutor's Office and the prosecutors' offices of the states.