Mexico's top court freezes electoral reform ahead of lawsuit

FILE PHOTO: A general view of the Supreme Court building where Ministers elected a new President for the Supreme Court, in Mexico City, Mexico January 2, 2023.REUTERS/Henry Romero

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's Supreme Court temporarily suspended on Friday parts of a controversial electoral reform pushed by the country's president, while also confirming it will consider a lawsuit from independent electoral institute INE that seeks to overturn it.

The congressional electoral reform passed by allies of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador last month was a scaled-down version of a failed constitutional reform he originally sought, but it still managed to slash the institute's budget and headcount ahead of presidential elections next year.