Weekly Report - 2 October 2008 (ISSN 1741-7422)

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa consolidated his grip on power with a decisive victory for the “yes" vote in the referendum on the new constitution. The stage is now set for him to win fresh presidential elections and for his party Alianza Paí­s (AP) to win a majority in the new congress when elections are held, if he has his way, next February. The only real blemish on the day for Correa was the narrow victory for the “no" vote in Guayaquil, the stronghold of his only credible political rival, Jaime Nebot, but even this could be seen as a blessing in disguise. The eastern province of Napo also emphatically rejected the constitution.