Access to Information on Political Parties

Jaime Cárdenas Gracia

In this article, the author explains his point of view concerning access to information and the political parties based on his work experience in Mexico. In this context, the political parties are considered to be public interest entities and help in the formation and balance of power. Therefore, in Cárdenas Garcia´s opinion, they should be adequately encompassed by Mexico´s Federal Law on Transparency and Access to Public Government Information. To reach this conclusion, the author describes the applicable legal framework and the pitfalls and necessity of making the activities of the country´s political parties transparent. He focuses on the type of information of general interest handled by the political parties as that is currently not publicly available. To exemplify the concepts being raised, the study repeatedly refers to two key cases of corruption in Mexican political life tied in with the question of the lack of transparency in the political parties. Cárdenas Garcia concludes with an analysis of the resolutions that have been adopted by the electoral court and the importance of its rulings.