MEXICO CITY, April 10, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Mexicans will vote Sunday in a
divisive national referendum championed by President Andres Manuel Lopez
Obrador on whether he should step down or complete his six-year term.

   While recall elections in other countries tend to be initiated by
political opponents, Mexico's vote is the brainchild of Lopez Obrador, who
enjoys an approval rating of nearly 60 percent.

   The 68-year-old president, who was elected in 2018, and other supporters
of the referendum -- the first of its kind in Mexico -- say it is a way of
increasing democratic accountability.

   "Now we have the chance to change what's not right. There have been
presidents who, after being elected by the people, ended up serving other
interests," Benigno Gasca, a 57-year-old mathematician and musician, told
AFP.

   But critics see it as an expensive propaganda exercise and an unnecessary
distraction from the many challenges facing the country, including drug-
related violence, poverty and the rising cost of living.

   "It's a useless exercise -- money thrown away," said Laura Gonzalez, a 62-
year-old retired teacher.

   Experts say turnout is likely to be well below the 40-percent level needed
for the vote to be legally binding.

   Opposition parties have urged Mexicans to abstain from voting in what they
call a "populist exercise."

   - Eyes on turnout -

   Some 93 million voters will be able to participate in the midterm
referendum, which was incorporated into Mexico's constitution in 2019 at
Lopez Obrador's initiative.

   Most of the signatures that were collected in order for the vote to happen
came from his supporters.

   Given the popularity of the anti-corruption austerity advocate, his
presidency is not at risk "at all," said political analyst Martha Anaya.

   On the contrary, the referendum could give impetus to his policy agenda,
such as controversial energy reforms, she said.

   The president also has his eye on the 2024 elections and the prospects for
his party and possible successors, including Mexico City Mayor Claudia
Sheinbaum.

   The Mexican constitution limits presidents to one term, and Lopez Obrador
has vowed to retire in 2024, following accusations by opponents that the
referendum is a step towards trying to stay in power.

   Lopez Obrador enjoyed an approval rating of 58 percent in March, although
that was far below a peak of 81 percent seen in February 2019, according to a
poll of polls by the Oraculus firm.

   The president accuses the National Electoral Institute of sabotaging the
referendum in collusion with his political opponents.

   The body, which unsuccessfully sought a larger budget, will set up around
57,500 polling stations, compared with 161,000 in a normal national election.

   Voting will start at 1300 GMT and end at 2300 GMT in most of the country,
with the result expected to be announced late Sunday.

   Lopez Obrador has overseen a series of referendums since taking office on
controversial issues including his "Maya Train" railroad project, and
canceling a partially finished airport for Mexico City.

   A public consultation held in August on whether to prosecute his
predecessors for alleged corruption drew only a small fraction of voters to
the polls.