Posted by altogringo on February 03, 2001 at 19:11:13:
In Reply to: Re: Mexico Holiday Monday 2/5.. posted by reytj on February 03, 2001 at 18:47:48:
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OK, here's more than you want to know, hehe *********************************************** February 5th, Mexico's Constitution Day On February 5th., Mexico celebrates the Day of the Constitution. Mexico has had six constitutions during its history: those of 1812 (provisional), 1824, 1836, 1837, 1857, and 1917. The Constitutions of 1857 and 1917 were promulgated on this date. In comparison with its predecessor, the Constitution of 1917 contains some changes regarding the governmental structure of the country, but most important, it contains guarantees of individual rights and provisions concerning social welfare, labor, and land. Under its terms, Mexico is a representative, democratic, and federal republic, composed of 31 sovereign states and a Federal District, which is the seat of federal powers. The states are sovereign in local matters and they have their own representative governments, with clearly defined executive, legislative, and judicial branches. They are divided into municipalities, and the governor of each state is its chief executive. Each state has a House of Representatives and a Supreme Court of Justice. The governor and representatives are elected by popular vote, while members of the Supreme Court are designated according to the terms of each state's Constitution. Governors hold office for six years and may not be reelected. The Federal Government is also divided in three different branches: Executive: Federal executive power resides in the President of the United Mexican States, or, as he is more commonly known, the President of the Republic. He carries out his functions through a cabinet composed of 17 secretaries, the Mayor of the Federal District, the Attorney General's Office, and numerous decentralized and autonomous agencies. The President of the Republic is elected by popular vote to a six-year term, with no possibility of reelection. The current President of Mexico, Mr. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon, will be in office until November 2000. Legislative: The legislative power of the federal government is vested in a general Congress with two houses: the Senate and the Chamber of Congressmen (Diputados). Senators are elected by direct popular vote for a term of six years. Each state, and the Federal District, is represented by four senators. There are 500 Congressmen who serve for three years; 300 are elected by plurality of the popular vote in individual districts, while 200 allotted by proportional representation based on the percentage of the total vote received by each political party. Neither Senators nor Congressmen are eligible for reelection for the following term. In Mexico, as in many other Latin American countries, the legislative branch includes a permanent committee whose chief function is to carry on the activities of the legislature during the period between an election and the following session. Judiciary: The federal judiciary dispenses justice in federal matters. Its highest court is the Supreme Court of Justice, composed of members appointed by the President and ratified by the Legislature |
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