Ecuador Assembly Sets Executive Power

Quito, Apr 24 (Prensa Latina) Ecuador's National Constituent Assembly members of Structure and State Institutions group were finalizing details Thursday on a 19-article package of the Executive function, defining the powers of Ecuadorian presidents.

Approved texts need to be reviewed now, before being presented to the Assembly leadership, which will analyze them and propose their discussion in the Constituent Assembly plenary, a spokesman of this institution explained.

The articles have to do with the head of State's temporary absence, cessation of function, attributions and duties, revocation of an assembly member's mandate and the country's vice presidential responsibilities.

One such regulation, for example, establishes that with definitive absence of the president, the National Electoral Council will call general elections to choose a new presidential duo.
The vice president would assume the mandate temporarily, until general elections were held and a new president was elected.

"Being ill or in other circumstances that prevent him from exercising his function for a maximum period of five months, or being granted a leave by the National Assembly for a similar period," are considered a temporary absence of the head of State.

Different from the current Constitution, they are proposing revocation of the presidential mandate in midterm office, that is, after two years in power.

Another new item is granting the president to be reelected for another four years.

Article 11 says the head of State will be able to request that the National Electoral Council revoke the mandate of the National Assembly (Parliament) members just once in his term of office.

Creation of a State Council, presided over by the head of State, to be summoned at least twice a year and composed of the incumbents in the Executive, Legislative, Electoral and Social Control functions, is also within the approved package.