MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexico's Supreme Court on Monday struck down part of an electoral overhaul championed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador that curbs the power of the country's elections authority, which the leftist leader has repeatedly attacked.
A separate part of the legislative reform, which slashes the budget and staffing at the National Electoral Institute (INE), is still being evaluated by the tribunal.
Nine of the court's 11 justices voted to invalidate the reform's push to rein in the INE's ability to police political communications, the court announced on Twitter.
The justices ruled that "serious violations in legislative procedure" had taken place in passing the measure, it said.
In March, the court temporarily suspended other parts of the overhaul, citing violations of citizens' political rights.
Lopez Obrador says he was twice robbed of the presidency before he won by a landslide in the 2018 election, and argues the INE is too expensive and biased in favor of his opponents.
Critics argue the electoral shake-up really aims to cede power to state and local officials, many of whom are currently affiliated with Lopez Obrador's ruling MORENA party, potentially tipping the scales in its favor in the 2024 general election.
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in February after lawmakers approved the reform, in one of the largest protests so far against Lopez Obrador's 4-1/2 year-old administration.
(Reporting by Raul Cortes Fernandez; Editing by Sandra Maler)
