In Ecuador, they face the candidate that the Correismo raises, a candidate that represents the indigenous peoples and a banker very identified with the Ecuadorian right.
The country will celebrate the second electoral round on April 11. Photos: TW-ecuarauz, TW-LassoGuillermo, TW-yakuperezg
LatinAmerican Post | Jorge Francisco Vuelvas Lomeli
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Leer en español: 4 datos para entender el proceso electoral en Ecuador
The vote count is suspended
The Electoral Council of Ecuador has suspended the vote count in the first round of the presidential election requested by the leftist indigenous candidate Yaku Pérez, who alleged that fraud caused him to deprive him of his opportunity to participate in the second round.
After failing to achieve a majority in support of Pérez's request, the count was suspended. In the Council two votes were cast in favor, one against, one abstention, and one of the directors did not appear; this closes the opportunity for the candidate who requested the recount.
Pérez, a 51-year-old environmental lawyer, submitted a request for a vote recount in 17 of the 24 provinces of the country. The count was intended to involve an estimated 6 million ballots or about 45% of registered voters in Ecuador.
This candidate obtained 19.38% of the votes in the February 7 elections, only behind his rivals, the second former right-wing banker Guillermo Lasso (Guillermo Lasso), 65, the latter also requested that it be held. counting the number of votes.
The second round is coming
The country will hold the second electoral round on April 11. Diana Atamaint, president of the National Electoral Council, reported that the electoral campaign will be held from March 16 to April 8 at 11:59 pm. During the first three days, the dissemination of surveys will be prohibited.
Also read:New political crisis in Peru would give a new turn to the elections
On March 21, a presidential debate will take place between two candidates for the presidency of Ecuador. The winner of the April 11 elections will take office on May 24, before the new National Assembly. In this semester all possible complaints and objections will be studied.
According to article 204 of the "Code of Democracy", candidates or political parties may not make gifts or donations during electoral activities. This is to prevent undecided voters from choosing candidates after receiving a preselection gift.
Correa's candidate
Andrés Arauz, the 36-year-old economist, favorite and close to former leftist president Rafael Correa, won 32.7%, which is not enough to win the title completely. Now he is awaiting the final determination, to see who will face him in the second round on April 11.
The candidate Pérez accused him of fraud, with the aim of preventing him from entering the second round; this was motivated by the fact that the right-wing Lasso was in the middle of the count, reducing him from second to third place. "They are not going to defeat us, they are not going to destroy us, the resistance continues. Today (the Electoral Commission) has just made a decision and is still in a state of uncertainty," Pérez told public opinion.
Risks that threaten public peace
Indigenous groups that support Pérez called a rally on Wednesday and marched in Quito, condemning the alleged electoral fraud against their candidate, for which large demonstrations are planned that could lead to violent days and put the worn-out government of Lenin Moreno in check.
The mandate of the current president Lenin Moreno will end on May 24, and in the atmosphere of radicalization, the Organization of American States urged the Council to "ensure compliance with the electoral calendar" to ensure that the second round of April is carried out according to the programmed.
