(Angus Reid Global Monitor) November 14, 2007 - Following the Constituent Assembly election in Ecuador, Rafael Correa is enjoying a high level of public support, according to a poll by Cedatos/Gallup. 72 per cent of respondents approve of their president’s performance, up nine points since September.
Correa, a former finance minister, ran for president as an independent leftist under the Alliance Country (AP) banner. In November 2006, Correa won the presidential run-off with 56.69 per cent of the vote. He officially took over as Ecuador’s head of state in January and vowed to change the country’s Constitution. Correa’s party nominated no candidates to the National Congress.
In April, Ecuadorian citizens participated in a referendum to enact a Constituent Assembly. The president’s proposal was backed by 82 per cent of all voters. An election to choose the assembly’s 130 members took place on Sept. 30. Correa’s supporters—running under the Movement Country (MP) banner—secured 69 per cent of the vote and 80 seats, enough to enact changes without seeking compromises with political opponents.
The assembly is due to begin its work on Nov. 29, and has six months to finish a draft. The proposed body of law must be ratified in a nationwide referendum.
On Nov. 9, Correa said he wants the Constituent Assembly to effectively shut down Congress, call for early presidential and legislative elections, and limit the scope of traditional political parties, which have been widely blamed for toppling three presidents in ten years. Correa also expressed his views on the possibility of changing the law to allow for presidential re-election in Ecuador, saying, "The government’s position is very clear. (...) We believe in alternating democracy, we believe the people should have the right to re-elect their government if it is a good one."
Polling Data
Do you approve or disapprove of Rafael Correa’s performance as president?
| Oct. 2007 | Sept. 2007 | Aug. 2007 | |
| Approve | 72% | 63% | 56% |
| Disapprove | 25% | 32% | 37% |
Source: Cedatos/Gallup
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,288 Ecuadorian adults, conducted from Oct. 26 and Oct. 30, 2007. Margin of error is 5 per cent.
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