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Mexico’s upper house of parliament narrowly passed a controversial constitutional reform Wednesday that will see judges elected by citizens instead of being appointed on merit, a change that has sparked widespread protests and concerns about the country’s democracy and investment environment, the Washington Post reported.

The ruling Morena party of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador secured the two-thirds majority needed to pass the amendment, with 86 lawmakers voting in favor and 41 against, following chaotic scenes in the upper chamber.

The plan, already passed by the lower house, is expected to be quickly ratified by state legislatures, where Morena holds a majority in 27 of 32 states.

The voting took place as protesters stormed the chamber, breaking glass doors and shouting “Traitors!” Lawmakers were forced to move to a nearby building under a heavy police presence.

López Obrador, whose party won a landslide victory in June, has long advocated overhauling the judiciary, emphasizing that electing judges will eliminate corruption and make the system more accountable to the public.

The changes will abolish the current system in which federal judges are appointed through professional merit, and instead transfer the choice to voters. If adopted, judicial elections could take place as soon as next year, potentially impacting the selection of about 7,000 federal and local judges.

But critics warned that the changes could lead to more corruption as it would allow special interest groups, including drug traffickers, to finance judicial campaigns. Others warned that it would compromise the independence of the courts, noting that some judges might issue rulings based on popular sentiment rather than the law.

Mexican Senator Verónica Rodríguez Hernández of the opposition National Action Party called the reform “one of the biggest steps backward in the history of Mexico.”

US Ambassador Ken Salazar also issued a rare rebuke, calling the judicial overhaul “a major risk to the functioning of Mexico’s democracy,” leading López Obrador to impose a “pause” in relations with the US embassy.

At the same time, business groups have expressed concern that the reform could erode confidence in Mexico’s legal system and affect foreign investment.

The peso has already dropped by more than 15 percent since Morena’s victory in the June elections and some foreign businesses have paused investments.

The judicial reform comes as López Obrador’s political movement grows in power, even as the populist president’s term ends this month, CNN added.

Claudia Sheinbaum, president-elect and a protégé of López Obrador, has pledged to continue his policies, including support for the judicial reform.

Observers noted that the new leader may face challenges in consolidating her mandate as the economy slows and political tensions rise over the judicial overhaul.