Polls open for local elections and Lasso’s referendum in Ecuador

Polls open today for over 13 million Ecuadorians who have been called to elect 23 prefects and deputy prefects, 221 mayors, 864 urban councilors and 443 rural councilors, and 4,109 parish board members in the Sunday provincial and municipal elections.

They will have to choose between Yes or No to the questions of the referendum the Guillermo Lasso Government has put on the ballot.

Voting began on Thursday when 5,497 detainees awaiting trial casted their votes. On Friday, 711 other persons aged 50 years and older with physical disabilities also casted their votes.

The electorate will have to answer eight questions proposed by the Executive to reform the Constitution on issues such as security, autonomy of the Attorney General’s Office, political representation and environment.

While the Executive assures that with the approval of these proposals the country will be safer, institutionally stronger and Ecuadorians will be better represented in bodies such as the National Assembly (parliament), several sectors assure that the trap is in the annexes.

For example, one of the proposals envisions reducing the number of members of the National Assembly (parliament) to one per province and an additional one for each 250,000 inhabitants, two national assembly members for each million Ecuadorians and one assembly member for each 500,000 Ecuadorians living abroad.

The consultative procedure is rejected by native people organizations, peasants, workers and students, for whom none of the questions are aimed at solving the country’s most pressing problems.