The MC politician, who has announced that he is abandoning the presidential race, prevents the interim governor, endorsed by Justice, from entering the Government Palace. The state parliament, with a majority of the opposition, has the final say
Nuevo León has woken up immersed in legal uncertainty. The former deputy prosecutor, Luis Enrique Orozco, has taken over as interim governor of Nuevo León with the support of the ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation. But this Saturday morning he found the Government Palace with the doors closed. The last hours in the northern state have been marked by last-minute announcements. The Court’s ruling has pushed Samuel García to abandon the presidential race and resume his duties as governor in an attempt to block the arrival of Orozco, supported by the opposition. However, the state Congress is the one that has the final say on the annulment of his six-month license, which began to run as of this Saturday. Orozco has not ruled out dispatching from an alternate headquarters due to the impossibility of entering the Government Palace, where he had scheduled a first meeting with the state cabinet. At the moment, there are two governors awaiting the final decision of Congress.
Within the climate of general uncertainty, there is no certain date for the meeting of the parliamentary plenary session, who has the last word. Meanwhile, the president of Congress, PAN member Mauro Guerra, has announced in a statement that García’s license remains valid and that Orozco is the interim governor in charge. “If citizen Samuel García wants to remain illegally in his position, he will be under his constitutional and electoral responsibility; I reiterate, there is no impediment with the separation license, it is still valid,” he emphasized.
The dispute over the Government of Nuevo León has resulted in a bizarre episode for Mexican politics. After the Court’s decision, Orozco was able to enter the Government Palace on Friday night. After entering the Executive headquarters, the former deputy prosecutor stayed inside for only a few minutes and came out to give a message to the journalists who were waiting for him at the door, in which he reported on the Court’s resolution that endorsed him as interim governor. While he was speaking, the Secretary of Government, Javier Navarro, came out accompanied by elements of the Civil Force to interrupt Orozco and announce that García was once again the governor of Nuevo León. “I want you to hand over the administration to me, I am the interim governor,” responded the substitute president. “The governor is resuming office, here is the document. Resume functions as elected constitutional governor,” the official launched in response to the rejection of the until recently deputy prosecutor. García’s return had already been published in the official newspaper of Nuevo León. After the unprecedented moment, at exactly two in the morning, García left through the back door of the Government Palace. With a distraught expression and in the midst of questions from the press, he has only limited himself to saying one sentence. “We resume functions.” Although he has refused to answer whether he will thereby renounce his presidential candidacy.
With this decision, García’s presidential candidacy is dissolved. The Constitution establishes that to aspire to the presidency of the Republic, a public official like García must leave office six months in advance, an essential requirement that the governor would no longer meet as of this Saturday.
The fight for governor of Nuevo León began a few weeks ago when García requested a six-month license from the state Congress. That concession plunged lawmakers into a debate over the election of the interim governor. While García asked that his Secretary of Government assume the position, Congress was looking for one of its own to occupy the position. The tension led Governor García to present constitutional controversies that were admitted to him. In addition, a fight began in court between the two parties to be right.
Last Wednesday, Congress elected Luis Enrique Orozo, former deputy state prosecutor, as interim governor in a heated, even violent session in which there were clashes between legislators and García’s supporters. Given the decision of the local Congress, García maintained until the last minute on Friday the version that he would take the leave and Navarro would assume the interim governorship. The governor even rejected the appeals that the opposition had presented to Justice to prevent his departure from the Government.
The elected governor must inform the State Congress of his decision to remain in office so that it can reinstate him to his duties. Until that happens, Orozco holds the position of interim governor. For this reason, it is expected that the Legislature will meet during this Saturday to initiate the cancellation of Garcia’s license.
Source: El Pais
