Election Campaign Begins

The election campaign for the next President is due to begin in the next few days. The 1933 constitutional reform was introduced in response to anger at the idea of Calles becoming president for a second term, and after the outright assassination of Calles' predecessor, Álvaro Obregón, who sought such a second term. This reform prevents an elected official serving twice, even if he was only an interim or provisional caretaker. This helps prevent a repeat of the Porfiriato, which saw dictator Porfirio Díaz serve seven terms in a thirty year period and inspired the 1910 Mexican Revolution, plunging the country into a decade of civil strife. This law has the benefit of making patronage networks outside the party more difficult to sustain, but also prevents officials being directly accountable to electors, as they will move to a different tier of government after their term, making them reliant on patronage within the party.