Andean Group - March 2011 (ISSN 1741-4466)

Ecuador moves onto electoral footing as court approves referendum

Ecuadoreans will go to the polls on 7 May to vote on a popular referendum tabled by President Rafael Correa. The referendum, which contains 10 questions, was adjudged to be acceptable by the constitutional court. Correa can now partake in a surrogate electoral campaign for the next two months, at a cost of US$22m. The stakes are high. If he wins, he will be empowered, among other things, to undertake a sweeping judicial reform. The traditional opposition, which he pejoratively describes as the partidocracy, will try and thwart him, but the main challenge will be provided by founding members of his Alianza País (AP), who have grown disillusioned with what they consider to be the increasingly authoritarian turn of his citizens’ revolution.