Mexico’s president lays out constitutional reforms

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador presented constitutional reforms in a speech on Monday, which is celebrated as Constitution Day nationwide.

“The reforms that I propose seek to establish constitutional rights and strengthen ideals and principles related to humanism, justice, honesty, austerity and democracy,” he said in a speech in the capital, Mexico City.

The slew of constitutional reforms includes giving scholarships to impoverished youth, outlawing fracking and open-pit mining, overhauling previous pension reforms, limiting water concessions in zones with water shortages, reducing spending on political campaigns, cutting the number of lawmakers in the Lower House of Congress and Senate, and electing judges by direct vote.

He said the proposed constitutional reforms would be handed to the Lower House of Congress for discussion later on Monday.