An alphabet-soup backing the president

Translated from Hoy, May 3, 2007.

70 organisations met yesterday to define the positions they will take to the Constituent Assembly

FORCES THAT SUPPORT ALIANZA PAIS

Movimiento País (“Movement Country”), which promotes the candidacy of President Rafael Correa, will participate in the elections for the Assembly with its own list (35), and not with Alianza País (“Alliance Country”). It was convoked in the second round of the presidential election and contains several political and social organizations.

Patricio Carrión, political coordinator of Movimiento País, indicated that on the 5th and 6th of May, the national delegates of the organization would meet in the Guasmo, in Guayaquil, to discover the names the first aspirants.

Supporting Alianza País there are 16 organizations including Movimiento Blanco (“White Movement”), led by Francisco Andino; Acción Democrática Nacional (“National Democratic Action” - DNA), whose head is Manuela Gallegos, and Ecuador Decide (“Ecuador Decides”), directed by Juana Ramos.

Others include: Movimiento Bolivariano Alfarista (MBA), Acuerdo Nacional Constituyente (“National Constituent Accord” - ANC), Somos Poder Constituyente (“We are the Constituent Power” - SPC), Gente Común (“Common People”), Frente Social Constituyente (“Social Constituent Front - FSC), Alternativa Democrática (“Democratic Alternative”), Alfaro Vive Carajo (“Alfaro Lives Dammit!” - AVC), and the Grupo de Combatientes Populares (“Group of Popular Combatants” – GCP), an arm of the PCMLE (Communist Party of Ecuador – Marxist-Leninist) and the MPD.

Newer movements include those of Correa’s family: Revolución Ciudadana Democrática (“Democratic Citizens’ Revolution” - RCD), TUTA and MAI.

From amongst the parties come the Partido Socialista - Frente Amplio (“Socialist Party – Broad Front” – PSFA), the Movimiento Popular Democrático (“Popular Democratic Movement” - MPD) and Pachakutik (PK).

Alexandra Vargas, general coordinator of the MBA, made it clear that there is an agreement within Alianza País to select the candidates on the basis of their curriculum vitae and the proposals that they will take to the bosom of the Assembly.

“The right will be divided, for which reason it is better to have three lists adding up to about 390 names to choose from”, shows Vargas.

Several organizations of the left met with the political commission of Movimiento País yesterday to begin deciding candidates.

Ciro Guzmán, director of the MPD, indicated that there is agreement with the Government on subjects like the defence of sovereignty, the inclusion of new civil rights, labor rights, and others that are the basis to form “a united” list, but not alone.

The ex-Salesian priest Eduardo Delgado, of Somos Poder Constituyente, indicated that the participation of the left in a single list is not possible. “It is better to go with several lists of the same tendency, coordinated with a clear agenda for the Assembly”, he asserted.

In order to define the general guidelines for the Frente por la Asamblea (“Front for the Assembly” - AP), the 70 groups that form it met yesterday.

“We will have a line of convergence with the Government, but simultaneously we are independent”, said Pablo Santos, member of the “ET-MA” front that includes Acción Ecológica (“Ecological Action”), Movimiento Humanista (“Humanist Movement”), and other groups.

Pierina Correa insists on formation of the RCD

Sister of the chief executive ratifies his movement

Although President Rafael Correa drew attention to his siblings for the creation of the Revolución Ciudadana en Democracia (“Citizens’ Revolution in Democracy” - RCD) movement, Pierina Correa reiterated yesterday that “the RCD is another prop to support the management of the president”.

Pierina reiterated that the RCD will participate in the elections in September, for members of an assembly. Fabricio Correa has still not responded to his brother Rafael Correa.

In Guayaquil they appeared other political movements led by relatives of the head of state: the Todos Unidos Trabajamos Altivamente (“United We Will Worked Proudly” - TUTA) movement led by Eleanore Delgado (aunt) and the Movimiento Altivo Independiente (“Proud Independent Movement” - MAI) directed by Eduardo Delgado Rendón (uncle). These groups work in Atarazana suburb of Guayaquil, but they are not registered in the Electoral Court of Guayas Province.

They say that they began the proceedings for their legalization on the 23 of April. Eleonore Delgado affirmed that she will not be candidate, but her brother Eduardo intends to participate. “We all have the right to look for a seat in the Assembly”, said Delgado.

Gustavo Darquea, director of the pro-governmental movement Alliance País in Guayas, stated that President Correa has called for all militants to work together in the elections for members of the assembly.