Mexico City, April 29 (IANS) Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he plans to submit a bill to Congress to overhaul the country's electoral system.The proposed reforms include replacing the autonomous National Electoral Institute, the body that organises polls, eliminating proportional representation in Congress, and reducing the cost of up to 24 billion pesos ($1.2 billion), reports Xinhua news agency.The Constitutional Reform on Electoral Matters will create the National Institute for Elections and Consultations, and federalise elections by scrapping the regulatory bodies currently in charge of organising elections in each state, the President told reporters here.The reforms will end "electoral fraud" and guarantee "the full application of democracy", said Lopez Obrador.According to the proposal, the number of legislative seats in the lower house will be reduced from 500 to 300, and the number of Senate seats will be cut from 128 to 96. Also, the method of appointing deputies, senators and city councillors will be changed from indirect proportional representation to direct voting.Since taking office in December 2018, Lopez Obrador has spearheaded reforms in several sectors, including energy.
--IANS ksk/
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