Ecuador's Congress swears in 21 alternate lawmakers to achieve quorum amid political crisis

IHT, Mar 20, 2007
QUITO, Ecuador: Ecuador's constitutional crisis took a new twist as alternate lawmakers were escorted into Congress under the cover of darkness and sworn in to replace some of the legislators fired by the country's highest electoral court.

The 21 alternate lawmakers were shuttled to the congressional building before dawn Tuesday as hundreds of national police stood watch, allowing the 100-seat unicameral legislature to begin a session with a quorum of 55 lawmakers for the first time in two weeks.

The crisis deepened in early March when a majority of congressmen voted to oust the president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal for approving President Rafael Correa's version of an April 15 referendum plan on the need for a new constitution. The tribunal responded by dismissing 57 lawmakers, accusing them of trying to block the referendum.

Correa, a leftist whose party holds no seats in the current Congress, is pushing for a new charter to limit the power of the country's traditional political parties, which he blames for the country's corruption and political instability. Ecuador has had eight presidents in the last decade.

Correa has acknowledged that administration officials met with groups of alternate congressmen to encourage them to take up the posts left by the dismissal of the regular legislators, but it is unclear what affect the alternate lawmakers will have on Correa's influence in Congress. The 21 alternate lawmakers installed Tuesday belonged to the three major opposition parties.

Congress president Jorge Cevallos said the installation of the lawmakers was intended to "overcome the political crisis."

The fired congressmen, however, immediately condemned the alternate congressmen as traitors.

"They have betrayed their political party," Alfonso Harb, an ousted Social Christian lawmaker said, referring to three alternates from his party who took the oath of office. "We don't recognize the legitimacy of today's session."

Although the 21 alternate lawmakers allow for a 51-member quorum in Congress, many congressional decisions need a two-thirds majority — or 67 votes — to pass. That means if the remaining 36 alternate lawmakers are not sworn in, Congress may not be able to pass important legislation.

Cevallos said he hopes to have those alternates installed by next week. If not, he said he will call on the second alternates.

The alternate lawmakers were elected at the same time as the regular congressmen, and are supposedly hand-picked by the lawmakers they stand in for and represent the same political parties.

Alvaro Noboa, the billionaire banana baron defeated in November's presidential election runoff, accused Correa of offering the alternate lawmakers money or other favors to get them to take up their posts in Congress, which the president has called "a sewer of corruption."

Noboa said it was an example of the "the system of the briefcase man" at work, Ecuadorean slang for political bribes.

Correa's administration has denied bribing the alternate lawmakers.

"This is not a good start," Cevallos said of the substitute lawmakers' sneaking into Congress before dawn. "They should come in through the front door. No one has any reason to hide."

Former President Lucio Gutierrez also criticized the alternate congressmen for entering the building with police protection.

"What kind of democracy is this?" said Gutierrez, who was forced from office in April 2005 by Congress amid street protests. "This is a de facto government that intimidates, that persecutes people."

Dozens of angry protesters gathered in front of the congressional building early Tuesday, most in support of an assembly to write a new constitution.

Ecuador's 'citizens' revolution'

Duroyan Fertl,
Green Left Weekly, 8 February 2007

Since his January 15 inauguration, President Rafael Correa has set about implementing his plan for changing Ecuadorian society, centred on a “citizens’ revolution” to refound the country and begin the construction of a “socialism of the 21st century” by investing economic wealth in social spending on health, education, housing and the environment.

In an effort to curb pollution, on February 3 Correa declared that Ecuador would suspend the contracts of oil companies who needlessly damage the environment. The decision follows the recent announcement that the Ecuadorian government had made US$1 billion from the oilfields of Oxy Petroleum, whose concessions were revoked a year ago for breach of contract. Correa has announced his intention to renegotiate contracts with other oil companies to give the government a larger share of the profits, to use for social spending.

Already under investigation is Brazil’s Petrobras, which holds the right to explore Oil Block 31, located in one of the world’s most biologically diverse regions. Another target of the government’s ire is a mine planned by Ascendant Copper in Junin. Ascendant’s environmental impact statement was rejected in late 2006, and the company is also accused of using paramilitary groups to intimidate and assault local opponents of the mine.

On February 5, Ecuador announced that it will take Colombia to the International Court of Justice over the spraying of glyphosate near the border and over parts of Ecuador. In December last year, Ecuador temporarily withdrew its ambassador from Colombia over the issue. The spraying is part of the US-funded “war on drugs” and is designed to kill coca plants, the source of the raw material for cocaine. However, it also leads to massive environmental damage, birth defects and the poisoning of the watertable.

The government’s new budget, delivered on January 31, promised a $1 billion reduction in foreign debt payments and repeated the government’s intention to renegotiate much of the debt. The government also outlined a plan to reform the tax system, lowering the value-added tax from 12% to 10% while increasing company taxes. On February 1, Correa announced the doubling of social benefits to more than a million of the poorest and most vulnerable, including the sick and single mothers.

Correa has already suffered some setbacks, however. Banana-growers have protested his choice of agriculture minister, Carlos Vallejo — a former associate of Correa’s rival in last year’s presidential election, Alvaro Noboa. Noboa is Ecuador’s richest man and owns numerous banana plantations. He is accused of using child labour and violently breaking strikes. Another associate of Noboa’s, Francisco Cucalon, recently appointed attorney-general, resigned on January 31 amid protests by Correa and others that his appointment was unconstitutional.

Another setback for Correa was the death on January 24, after only nine days in office, of Guadalupe Larriva, Ecuador’s first ever female defence minister. Larriva died in a collision of two military helicopters near Manta air base. She was a former president of the Socialist Party of Ecuador and head of the teachers’ union, and had been planning to renovate the armed forces, including increasing wages for low-ranking soldiers.

An independent investigation initiated by the government found nothing suspicious about the death. Nevertheless, Correa has replaced the head of the army. He has appointed another woman, Lorena Escudero, as defence minister. Since coming to power, Correa has also replaced three police chiefs, the latest on January 27, as he attempts to reform an institution rife with corruption.

The most important part of Correa’s reform program, the convoking of an assembly to rewrite the constitution, similar to efforts in Venezuela and Bolivia, has set the scene for a major showdown with the political forces traditionally dominant in Ecuador. The Constituent Assembly, which is supported by upwards of 75% of Ecuadorians, has been hindered by the traditional parties that dominate the Congress and Supreme Electoral Court (TSE), which fear it will reduce their power.

The TSE deliberately dragged its heels on declaring the legality of a planned March 18 referendum on the Constituent Assembly, before handballing the decision to the Congress after hundreds of pro-assembly protesters broke into the courtroom on January 23. Congress, also hostile to Correa, has since been stalling on the bill, as the parties debate the exact powers that the assembly will have and attempt to water it down to ensure their continuing control.

On January 30, thousands of protesters stormed the Congress, demanding it pass the bill, chanting “Death to the rats!” and “Down with the Congress, yes to the assembly!” Authorities evacuated the building and dispersed protesters with tear-gas. Protesters were also incensed that members of Congress, regarded by most Ecuadorians as corrupt, had also just voted to increase their salaries.

On February 6, the Congress blocked a vote on the assembly. The Patriotic Society Party of former president Lucio Gutierrez, who was overthrown in a popular uprising in 2005, had previously promised to support the bill but refused to vote for it. The PSP is the second largest party in Congress with 24 out of 100 seats, giving it the balance of power. It is widely believed that the PSP’s support for the bill will be conditional on them gaining key positions in the assembly and in the government.

Correa, who described Gutierrez as a “viper”, has threatened that if the Congress continues to stall or doesn’t pass the bill, it will be bypassed. Vice-President Lenin Moreno has suggested that an “ad hoc” committee could be convoked to set the parameters for the Constituent Assembly. Correa has also threatened to call further mass demonstrations to force the Congress to pass the bill, saying “The fight here is between the Congress and 13 million Ecuadorians”.

The social movements are feeling similarly frustrated. Humberto Cholango, of the indigenous organisation ECUARUNARI, has threatened that an indigenous uprising could be organised to force the issue. Similar uprisings have led to the overthrow of three presidents in the last decade. ECUARUNARI, the main indigenous federation CONAIE and dozens of other social movements and organisations have united to form the National Front for the Plurinational Constituent Assembly. A massive march on Quito is planned for March 13 to demand the Congress obey the popular mandate.

Ecuadorians support re writing constitution and new Congress

Thursday, January 25, 2007

MercoPress

A majority of Ecuadorians support President Rafael Correa’s proposal to amend the Constitution and change the country’s one house legislative branch, according go a Cedatos/Gallup opinion poll released this week.

The poll shows an overwhelming support of 78%, with only 11% against, in favor of electing a Constituent Assembly with full powers, a first step to redesign Ecuador’s institutions that have proved particularly unstable in the last two decades and “protect” a political establishment overwhelmingly discredited.

Correa, a former US educated finance minister, ran for president as an independent outsider under the Alliance Country (AP) banner. In November 2006, Correa defeated Álvaro Noboa of the Institutional Renewal Party of National Action (PRIAN) in a run-off with 56.69% of the vote and was inaugurated January 15 but with no legislative support since his party nominated no candidates to the National Congress.

In his inauguration speech, Correa expressed his support for changing existing legislation, declaring, "The historical moment of the nation and the whole continent demands a new constitution that prepares the country for the 21st century."

A first referendum is scheduled to take place on Mar. 18. In this ballot, the people will be asked if they want the country’s constitution to be re-written. If a majority votes in favor of forming a Constitutional Assembly, a second vote—where Ecuadorians will elect the members of this legislative body—will take place within eight days.

Correa has also promised to reschedule Ecuador’s foreign debt and dedicate more funds to combat poverty; extract higher windfall taxes from oil companies operating in the country, (Ecuador’s main export) and has also announced he will not renew the contract of an air base operated by United States.

A team of Argentine experts in renegotiating debts will help Ecuador in dealings with international banks and Venezuela has promised to purchase Ecuadorian sovereign bonds while negotiations are on and to anticipate “fiscal shortages”.

Correa backers break into Ecuador's election court

Tue Jan 23, 2007

By Alonso Soto

QUITO (Reuters) - Supporters of Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa on Tuesday broke into the country's election court to pressure officials to approve his request for a referendum on whether to rewrite the constitution.

Correa, a left-wing ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, was elected in November promising sweeping reforms to curtail the influence of traditional parties which many Ecuadoreans blame for the Andean nation's political turmoil.

The court protests and earlier demonstrations at the attorney general's office underscore growing political tensions between Correa and Congress in a country where lawmakers have helped topple three elected presidents in the last decade.

More than three-quarters of Ecuadoreans support Correa's call for a popular assembly on rewriting the constitution, a Cedatos Gallup poll showed this week.

The charismatic leader has an approval rating of 73 percent while Congress has only 13 percent, according to another Cedatos poll released at the weekend.

Dozens of protesters waving the lime green flags of Correa's political movement climbed over walls and forced their way into the election court building chanting "Say 'yes' to the Assembly" before they were controlled by police.

Supporters of the left-leaning president believe that if the court sends the proposal to Congress, opposition lawmakers would try to water down Correa's plan for a vote on whether to all a popular assembly to rewrite the constitution.

International investors are worried over heightened political turmoil rekindled by Correa's aggressive drive to overhaul his country's political system.

"This highly confrontational strategy carries the risk of eroding even further the institutional backbone of the country," wrote Alberto Ramos, economist with Goldman Sachs.

Opposition political parties are opposed to Correa's ideas for constitutional reform because they believe he will seek to bypass them and undermine their authority. Correa, a U.S.-trained economist, says the reforms are needed to curb party influence in the courts and other institutions.

In separate turmoil, a decision by lawmakers last week to appoint an attorney general close to Correa's former election rival, Alvaro Noboa, sparked street protests by government supporters to demand his removal.

In a sign of support to protesters, the government issued a statement that the demonstrations were a result "of the people being weary with the political games of Congress."

Ecuador's chief police commander also resigned on Tuesday as the new government attempted to reform the police, hit by corruption scandals.