Quito (BLAZETRENDS).- With seven presidential candidates so far, the political parties and movements, as well as the social organizations of Ecuador are advancing in the search for candidates and alliances with a view to the elections next August in which the Legislative will be restructured and the Executive.
In the most recent movements on the political board, Elsa Guerra, who these days was listed as the only presidential candidate, handed over the Socialist party flag to the center-left presidential candidate Yaku Pérez, in a symbolic display of unity.
Pérez has the support of the political groups “Somos Agua”, “Democracia sí” and Unidad Popular”. He was a presidential candidate in 2021, he has been open to dialogue in search of unity for the extraordinary elections on August 20.
Internal conflict
On the other hand, Leonidas Iza, president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) and main leader of the protests that put the Government of President Guillermo Lasso in check in 2022, has also joined the list of pre-candidates.
Iza, appointed as a pre-candidate by the extended council of Conaie, in the midst of an internal conflict within the indigenous movement for control of the Pachakutik movement, the political arm of Conaie.
In order to make Iza’s candidacy official, the Conaie demanded that the National Electoral Council and the Electoral Dispute Tribunal register Guillermo Churuchumbi as Pachakutik’s national coordinator and urged the current coordinator, Marlon Santi, not to take action against it.
Although Churuchumbi was elected as coordinator of Pachakutik in the tenth national congress of the formation, the vote was challenged due to alleged irregularities during the process.
internal democracy
In recent days, the businessman and publicist Eduardo Maruri has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, with the support of the political organization Centro Democrático.
Also on the list is former Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner, possibly supported by the Avanza movement. And the businessman and security expert Jan Topic, openly backed by the Social Christian Party (PSC).
Likewise, former legislator and businessman Daniel Noboa with possible backing by the Equality, People and Democracy movement. And the former legislator and journalist Fernando Villavicencio, supported by the Construye movement.
The Correísmo candidate is missing
The definition of the pairing that will be presented by the Revolución Ciudadana movement, led by former President Rafael Correa (2007-2017), is still pending.
Correísmo will reach the elections at its best moment after having established itself as the largest political force in the country in the elections of local authorities held last February.
Lasso’s CREO political party has asked the ruler to accept the candidacy to complete the mandate until May 2025.
All the names that sound so far as possible pre-candidates will be subject to the corresponding ratification after the internal democracy processes of each political party or movement, which must be carried out until June 7.
On June 10, the deadline for the registration of candidacies and possible political alliances ends.
In addition to the president, Ecuadorians must also elect the 137 assembly members that make up the Parliament.
“Cross death” in Ecuador
The electoral process was called after Lasso resorted to the so-called “cross death”. A constitutional tool to dissolve Parliament and call new elections, whose winners will be chosen to complete the 2021-2025 period.
He did so by citing a “serious political crisis and internal commotion.” When the Assembly, with an opposition majority, was debating and preparing to vote on a motion of no confidence against him. As part of a political trial opened by the opposition for the alleged crime of embezzlement (embezzlement).
Among the supporters of censorship, in addition to correísmo and the conservative PSC, was the Pachakutik faction closest to Iza and Conaie.