Ecuadorian electoral body suspends seats in …

Ecuador’s National Electoral Council (CNE) has called for the “immediate suspension” of all electoral places in which former President Rafael Correa appears., who had already been excluded from the February 7 elections due to a conviction against him for corruption. The ruling is based on a technical report in which election authorities in Pichincha province said the Union for Hope coalition’s (UNES) release documents did not comply with a constitutional provision that “prohibits citizens from final judgment “. The presidential candidate of this space, Andrés Arauz, referred to a case of “open censorship” and clarified that the decision is “unconstitutional, illegal and in violation of electoral promotion rules”.

At a Quito press conference, Arauz warned “at the planetary level against a new violation of the rights of political participation and the freedom of expression of the forces that make up the UNES”. After a series of criticisms for the broadcast of an electoral spot in which former President Rafael Correa appears to call on the population to vote for the list led by economist Andrés Arauz and journalist Carlos Rabascall, the provincial electoral management of Pichincha, an entity that authorized the broadcast of the ad, resolved to back down.

The report in question cites article 64 of the Ecuadorian Constitution, which establishes the suspension of the political rights of those who have been convicted by the courts. It also refers to Article 61 of the Magna Carta, which states that those who have been sanctioned by the judiciary cannot participate in affairs of public interest, form political parties or movements, nor join or participate in decisions. that they adopt.

However, Arauz explained on Wednesday that in the electoral promotion regulations issued by the CNE “There is only a ban on the use of images of children and adolescents, but no ban on showing the image of a political leader.” And he assured that under articles 19 and 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the decision is “manifestly a violation”. For this reason, he explained on behalf of the party that “the corresponding actions will be presented in legal terms both at the level of Rafael Correa through international bodies, and internally before the plenary session of the CNE”.

The presidential elections to be held on February 7 in Ecuador, in which the replacement of current President Lenín Moreno will be elected, were marked by a previous campaign to register controversial candidates, especially with the UNES alliance. After several complications, space was finally able to launch the presidential formula with Rafael Correa, which the CNE also subsequently rejected. “Now we have seen a new attack on our participation rights and awe hope that the CNE becomes aware of an absurd measure which affects democracy “, affirmed the hope of progressivism in Ecuador.