The fight is on!
Midterm elections are coming on July 5th to choose the new representatives, governors, mayors and members of congress. All the different parties started the battle in full throttle. It all seems the same old thing; parties attacking each other, politicians looking down on others, presenting lawsuits, etc.
PAN and PRD supporters blocking the traffic along Perifico and San Jeronimo Glorieta in DF (Mexico City).
Banners and billboards are everywhere; TV ads replaced regular publicity in novellas, popular shows, news casts, etc. People march in support, protest or remain distant or suspicious of the whole event; even some celebrities joined the campaigns in support for some parties.
Parties and politicians are giving it all; criticism, insults, battles of the sexes, dares, doping tests, you name it, they’ve done them. So far, people think the parties are “cantinfleando”; meaning they’re speaking too much but saying absolutely nothing.
None of the parties seem to give a clear idea of what they propose; they all talk about more security, increase employment, cleaning the environment, legalizing marijuana, bonuses and scholarships for students, cheaper medicines, and even the death penalty for kidnappers and murderers.
Yes, candidates seem desperate for the people’s vote and they should be; while some politicians jump out of airplanes in parachutes and others burry themselves to get the attention of the constituents, the population seems to choose to look the other way.
Politicians are not the only ones who want to give a good fight this midterm election; among people, there is a campaign growing and getting stronger; they call it “El Voto Nulo” or “Voto en Blanco” (null, void or blank vote). The idea of this movement is to get people to go to the polls but cast a blank ballot. Their philosophy talks about people who are sick of the government, people who don’t believe in the politicians anymore and people who are tired of listening to the same promises over and over again. They want to show those candidates and government people are willing to vote, but not for them.
Will it work? So far at least, it has gotten the attention of the Federal Election Institute (IFE) which argues against it and classifies the “Voto Nulo” campaign as a Democracy killer. People who support the movement say it will send a clear message to the current men on women in power.
Will the people go to vote? Will they vote for someone or nobody at all?
Daniel Carillo is a regular Dos Lives contributor. Contact him at Daniel@DosLives.com.
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