On July 2, 2000 Mexicans will go to the polls to elect a new President, a new Congress, several state governors, and the mayor of Mexico City. These elections represent a major milestone in Mexico's difficult path toward democracy.

Since 1994, Global Exchange has worked with our partners in Mexico to promote fairness and transparency in the conduct of elections by observing electoral processes at the national and state level. Alianza Civica, Mexico's premier civil society elections watchdog organization, has again asked us to join with them in organizing a large international delegation to observe the July 2, 2000 elections.

Electoral reform and the emergence of a strong civil society dedicated to promoting democracy has made it increasingly difficult for Mexico's ruling party to commit the large-scale election day fraud upon which it used to rely. Yet such practices persist in some areas, and a visible international presence on election day will discourage a return to old methods. Moreover, Alianza Civica and other watchdog groups have concluded that more subtle forms of political control are now the most significant impediments to democracy in Mexico. Accordingly, in the days prior to the election, our delegation will investigate questions of campaign finance, equitable access to media, use of state resources to boost candidacies, and patterns of repression by army, police and paramilitary organizations.

The Global Exchange election observation delegation will travel to Mexico from June 25-July 5. The delegation will begin in Mexico City and then divide and observe the immediate pre-electoral conditions and election day itself in several states chosen by Alianza Civica. Three conflict ridden states have already been selected: Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Other states will be chosen by Alianza Civica in the coming months. Upon return to Mexico City, the group will compare and systematize their findings and prepare a report and press briefing. The delegation will travel on the heels of a smaller delegation of academic experts and experienced electoral observers who, in May, will observe the pre-electoral conditions in Mexico and lay the groundwork for the July observation.

If you are interested in participating, please send us a resume, a letter of interest, three letters of recommendation (preferable) and/or a list of references, a photocopy of the front page of your passport, and phone numbers for 2-3 emergency contacts. Participants should be able to speak Spanish. In your letter of interest, please describe your degree of proficiency in the language, as well as any prior election observation experience. Please send all materials in one envelope to Global Exchange Mexico Program; 2017 Mission St. Suite 303; San Francisco, CA 94110. The application deadline is April 15, For more information about the delegation, call the Mexico Program at (415) 255-7296 ext. 239 or email mxelections@globalexchange.org.

For background and up to date information about the elections and the state of democracy in Mexico, please visit the new Democracy 2000 section of our website.