Friday, April 08, 2005

Desafuero vote...

After 7pm tonight, in a session that lasted all day (I don't think most of those legislators usually work this hard), the Chamber of Deputies voted to remove AMLO's immunity from prosecution.

In favor: 360
Against: 127
Abstentions: 2 (one of which was a PANista who left the party earlier this year)
Total: 489 present (of 500 total)

If you're interested in the full text of AMLO's speech in his defense, you can read it online.

After his presentation, he retired to his home in the southern part of the city to be with his family.

Four scenarios after the desafuero:
1. The attorney general's office can choose not to prosecute. (Unlikely, given that they claimed to have him under surveillance to make sure he didn't flee the country last week.)

2. The case against him can proceed, but AMLO can request that his political rights (including the right to run for president) be protected during the trial. He will make such a request. (There is a precendent for this. A member of a debtor's movement had been charged with invading the Congress, and later had his rights reinstated. He is now in Congress.)

3. If he is not granted his political rights during the trial, he could become a candidate again when and if he is declared innocent in the trial. However, for this to work, the PRD would have to either change its rules and maybe even move around the dates of its nominating convention to suit AMLO. (This may be possible if the party really wants him as a candidate and thinks that he will be found innocent. In the last few days, they have announced that they are moving up their nominating convention in order to nominate AMLO sooner.)

4. The court could find that since there is no injured party, there is no crime. (That's civil law for you...) But this outcome is considered unlikely.

AMLO has not been arrested, and apparently won't be until the attorney general's office files the complaint (probably within 48 hours).

posted by Michelle @ 12:14 AM,

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