MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Wednesday signaled that he had already carried out the core of his legislative agenda, saying that only a few major issues were pending for the second half of his administration.
The leftist leader, who has pressed hard to strengthen the state’s control of the energy sector, and threatened to weaken or eliminate autonomous checks on his power, was asked how his agenda was looking after midterm elections due on Sunday.
“The legal framework has been adjusted, there are secondary laws still pending, but the constitutional reforms are pretty much done; there are a few missing, but very little,” he told reporters at his regular morning news conference.
“The essential, the most important things, have been done.”
He did not give details, saying he would provide more clarity following the elections, in which his ruling National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) and its allies are expected to retain control of the lower house of Congress.
Lopez Obrador has pushed through a raft of legislation to give national power utility the Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) and state oil firm Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) precedence over private business interests.
However, much of his legislation has been frozen by courts on the grounds that it is not compatible with his predecessor’s opening of the energy market to private capital.
Lopez Obrador has also vowed to send a plan to Congress that would reform government watchdogs and regulators.
(Reporting by Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Dave Graham and Jonathan Oatis)
