Sunday, September 30, 2007
Ecuador holds a constituent assembly election
(Esta entrada está disponible también en español.)
Voters in Ecuador go to the polls today to elect a constituent assembly that will draft a new constitution for the South American nation.
The constituent assembly will be composed of 130 members: 100 from the country's twenty-two provinces, 24 from a national list and six chosen by Ecuadorians residing abroad. Provincial and national list seats will be distributed by the largest remainder method of proportional representation. However, in provincial constituencies with two seats, the second largest ticket will be entitled to one mandate if it obtains at least twenty-five percent of the vote. Meanwhile, the six assembly members representing Ecuadorians abroad will be elected in three constituencies - the U.S. and Canada, Europe and Latin America - by simple majority voting.
Political parties and citizen movements submit lists of candidates, and each elector will have a number of votes equal to the number of representatives to be elected. Electors may choose a single list, and in this manner vote for all its candidates, or they may choose candidates from different lists. Seats won by lists will be assigned to the candidates with the largest number of votes within each list. Voting is compulsory, except for electors who are illiterate, handicapped, over the age of 65 or residing abroad.
Ecuador has suffered from political instability in recent times, and the country has had eight presidents over the past eleven years. In the 2006 general election, 44-year old economist Rafael Correa was elected president. Correa, who considers himself a left-wing Christian, has clashed with Congress and wants to implement sweeping institutional changes. In a referendum held last April 15, voters overwhelmingly approved his proposal to call a constituent assembly by 5,354,595 votes in favor (81.7%) to 814,323 against (12.4%), on a 71.6% turnout.
A total of 3,229 candidates are running in the election in 26 national lists, 428 provincial lists, and 44 expatriate lists. Nonetheless, it is expected that the ruling party - the PAIS Alliance (Proud and Sovereign Fatherland) - will obtain the largest the number of seats in the assembly, and possibly an absolute majority.
Ecuador's Supreme Court of Elections website will have live, Spanish-language results of today's election.
Voters in Ecuador go to the polls today to elect a constituent assembly that will draft a new constitution for the South American nation.The constituent assembly will be composed of 130 members: 100 from the country's twenty-two provinces, 24 from a national list and six chosen by Ecuadorians residing abroad. Provincial and national list seats will be distributed by the largest remainder method of proportional representation. However, in provincial constituencies with two seats, the second largest ticket will be entitled to one mandate if it obtains at least twenty-five percent of the vote. Meanwhile, the six assembly members representing Ecuadorians abroad will be elected in three constituencies - the U.S. and Canada, Europe and Latin America - by simple majority voting.
Political parties and citizen movements submit lists of candidates, and each elector will have a number of votes equal to the number of representatives to be elected. Electors may choose a single list, and in this manner vote for all its candidates, or they may choose candidates from different lists. Seats won by lists will be assigned to the candidates with the largest number of votes within each list. Voting is compulsory, except for electors who are illiterate, handicapped, over the age of 65 or residing abroad.
Ecuador has suffered from political instability in recent times, and the country has had eight presidents over the past eleven years. In the 2006 general election, 44-year old economist Rafael Correa was elected president. Correa, who considers himself a left-wing Christian, has clashed with Congress and wants to implement sweeping institutional changes. In a referendum held last April 15, voters overwhelmingly approved his proposal to call a constituent assembly by 5,354,595 votes in favor (81.7%) to 814,323 against (12.4%), on a 71.6% turnout.
A total of 3,229 candidates are running in the election in 26 national lists, 428 provincial lists, and 44 expatriate lists. Nonetheless, it is expected that the ruling party - the PAIS Alliance (Proud and Sovereign Fatherland) - will obtain the largest the number of seats in the assembly, and possibly an absolute majority.
Ecuador's Supreme Court of Elections website will have live, Spanish-language results of today's election.
