The New Anticorruption System of Mexico, the civil society claims against the interest of the political class (2/2)

The approved New Anticorruption System (NAS) has left no one satisfy with its shortened scope and other bias. This makes hard to imagine a happy ending against corruption, neither for society nor for PRI, which depends on the media impact that “ley 3 de 3” will have. In case people make the PRI reliable of the limited results, they would be in trouble running a competitive campaign for 2018 presidency.

At the beginning of Enrique Peña Nieto´s presidency the global media was very supportive to his proposed policies. A short-term action plan was signed with the principal parties (PAN and PRD) to approve laws that would make Mexico more competitive through the liberalization of the energetic sector, and other actions as the fiscal, the educative and the financial reforms.

Months later, the enthusiastic feeling turn into deception; every day new cases of corruption were discovered at the closest circle of the president.

Now, after a nightmare election for the PRI, a NAS was approved under the proposal of important think tanks from Mexico.

Would the approved version of the NSA mean a step forward for the wellbeing of Mexico´s democracy? After all, the country´s political system has shown to be defined by simulation.

In 2002, under Vicente Fox´s presidency, the Public Servant System “Servicio Profesional de Carrera” was approved, in order to recruit in the public administration the most professional human resources. Ten years later, the system has shown to be as corrupt as the Government Procurement.

Any newly graduated professional may be witness of this. No matter how well prepared or how well experienced the candidates are, the ex-ante elected candidate will be chosen, no matter the amounts of financial, human and material resources that have to be expend in order to make legally binding a de-facto decision.

Firstly, the vacancy requirements are designed to be met for the “amigo[1]” in question, so he/she won’t be automatically rejected; secondly, the technical exams are made by the direct superior of the position (the boss), and there is any mechanism to prevent that he/she shares it; thirdly, as said previously, in the documentation review he/she will fulfill all requirements; finally, an ad hoc committee will be integrated for interviews, taking part the direct superior, the human resources department and the internal control office, being in the best scenario those members not part of the corrupt agreement, the result will favor the previously chosen candidate awarded with a five year position.

There is no need to explain that the mechanisms for complaining any process of the ones mention above will not proceed in any way. The responsible office for complains is the Ministry of Public Function (Secretaría de la Función Pública - SFP), the one that was in charge of investigating Mr. Peña´s USD 7million house.

Similar situations can be find in other recruitment systems in the public sector (i.e. foreign affairs and electoral). Under these scenarios, is it worth it to have faith in the NAS?

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[1] Meaning by “amigo”, someone who personally knows the future winner (family, friend, etc.) or that owns a favor to someone else and this is the way of paying back the favor.