Mexico’s Congress and July 2003 Elections Page: 1 of 6
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Order Code RS21561
Updated July 28, 2003
CR8 Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Mexico's Congress and July 2003 Elections
K. Larry Storrs
Specialist in Latin American Affairs
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Summary
On July 6, 2003, Mexico held nation-wide elections to renew the membership of
the 500-seat Chamber of Deputies and to elect local officials in ten states. Coming at
the mid-point of the six-year term of President Vicente Fox, these elections, by
determining the balance of power in the lower chamber of Congress, significantly affect
President Fox's ability to enact his programs and set the stage for coming presidential
elections in 2006. Official results indicate that President Fox's conservative National
Action Party (PAN) fared poorly, while the long-ruling centrist Institutional
Revolutionary Party (PRI) secured a dominant position in Congress, and the leftist Party
of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) increased representation in Congress and
consolidated local control in the Mexico City Federal District. This suggests that
President Fox will have even more difficulty enacting his proposals in the new
Congress. This short report provides background on the functioning of the Mexican
Congress and summarizes the results of the 2003 election. The report will be updated
to indicate the result of pending action in the electoral tribunal. For further information,
see CRS Report RL31876, Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for the 108th Congress.
Background on Mexico's Congress
Composition and Method of Election. Mexico's legislative branch includes
the 500-seat Chamber of Deputies (the lower house) and the 128-seat Senate of the
Republic (the upper house). The current legislature is the 58th Legislature (usually
indicated by roman numerals), with the numbering coinciding with the three-year terms
of the Chamber of Deputies. The Chamber of Deputies is composed of 500 deputies with
three-year terms (300 elected by plurality in single-member districts and 200 elected by
proportional representation in five 40-member "plurinominal" districts). The Senate is
composed of 128 senators with six-year terms (64, or 2 from each state, elected by
plurality; 32 elected from the first minority - the runner-up - in each state; and 32
elected by national proportional representation).
Sessions. The legislature must hold two ordinary sessions per year. The first
session begins on September 1, when the President gives his report to the nation, similar
to the State of the Union address; it extends until December 15, except when a new
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Mexico’s Congress and July 2003 Elections, report, July 28, 2003; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc808377/m1/1/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.