Leader of the Opposition (Mexico)

Nation
 Type
 Appointer
 Member of
 First Holder

The **Leader of Her Majesty's Official Opposition** (Mexican: **Líder de la oposición oficial de Su Majestad**), more commonly known as the **Leader of the Opposition**, is the leader of the official opposition of Mexico and is the most senior non-governmental figure within Mexico.

As head of the official opposition, the leader of the opposition is tasked with shadowing and holding the government to account, and presenting a government-in-waiting for the public. Consequently, as the most likely person to form an alternative government after an election, the leader of the opposition is treated with extensive scrutiny and is expected to both attack the government's record and create alliances between other parties in order to help oust the incumbent cabinet. Due to the nature of the position, the role of leader of the opposition tends to see a high turnover of officeholders as leaders resign for losing an election or for failing to unite their party, whilst they can also be replaced if another party outperforms theirs, or the incumbent is appointed to the cabinet, takes up a position in one of the federal states, or takes a paid position within the imperial court. Whilst it is unusual for the leader of the opposition to come from the largest party in congress, it has happened before.

The leader of the opposition is entitled to the same levels of pay and protection as a cabinet minister and is often made a member of the National Security Council by the president in order to ensure both current and potential government leaders remain informed on national threats. The leader of the opposition is entitled to use the official opposition suite within the Legislative Palace of San Lázaro and ranks sixteenth on the Order of Precedence, after Cabinet ministers and before members of the supreme court. In the Congress of Mexico, the leader of the opposition is given preference over other opposition figures in debates and by custom meets with the emperor for quarterly meetings, as well as meeting with the prime minister at the start of each legislative session and for briefings on matters of national affairs.

In order to serve as leader of the opposition, an individual needs to be a member of the Congress of Mexico and the congressional leader of the largest political party or alliance outside of government. In most instances, the leader of the opposition is the same individual as the largest non-governmental legislative grouping, but there have been exceptions to this practice; .

Since the creation of the office in September 1904, there have been 4 people to have been leader of the opposition across 4 separate terms, three legislative sessions, and in opposition to three governments. At a total tenure of five years and one hundred and forty days, Francisco León de la Barra was the longest serving leader of the opposition, whilst Victoriano Huerta's one hundred and four days in office is the shortest on record.

## List of officeholders

### De-facto leaders of the opposition

Prior to the official formation of the role of Leader of the Opposition in September 1904, the leader of the largest non-government party still carried out a roughly equivalent role as the primary source of scrutiny, questioning, and political rivalry for the government at the time. The unicameral Congress of Mexico and relative organisation of Mexican political parties compared to other countries meant that from 1878 onwards, the de-facto opposition leader at any given point is easy to discern.