Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05QUITO1363
2005-06-13 14:19:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Quito
Cable title:  

ECUADORIAN NGO HAS REFORM PROPOSAL

Tags:  PGOV PREL EC 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 001363 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL EC
SUBJECT: ECUADORIAN NGO HAS REFORM PROPOSAL


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 001363

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL EC
SUBJECT: ECUADORIAN NGO HAS REFORM PROPOSAL



1. Summary: Ecuadorian NGO Citizen Participation (PC) has
prepared an electoral reform proposal that will be discussed
in forums nationwide, and then presented to the Vice
Presidency and the National Modernization Council (CONAM) for
possible inclusion in the December 11 referendum. The
initiative would focus on changes to the representational
system in Congress, political parties, and the impartiality
of other government institutions. PC hopes that the reforms
can be implemented by July 15 next year, so they can be in
effect for the 2006 national elections. While these ideas
look good on paper, many powerful groups will likely seek to
block these reforms. End Summary.


2. In a meeting on June 9, PC head Cesar Montufar and PC
legal advisor Jose Valencia discussed the organization's
proposal for political reform with PolOff and AIDOffs. The
proposal, noting that Ecuador is experiencing one of its most
severe democratic crises, focuses on the need to restore
legitimacy to the political institutions. Montufar believes
that urgent political reforms should focus on the collapse of
effective national representation in the Executive, Congress,
political parties, and political movements. The proposal
will be one of many submitted by NGOs, student groups, and
others, to be considered for inclusion in the December 11
referendum.

--------------
PC to Hold Public Forums on Reforms
--------------


3. Starting June 10, Citizen Participation will hold citizen
forums in different cities throughout the country to discuss
and revise the proposal. They would then deliver their
finalized proposal to the Vice Presidency and CONAM by July

15. The proposal could then be considered for inclusion in
the President's proposed December 11 referendum. (PC is
planning to promote the idea that the referendum be moved up
to October.) For any reforms to be implemented for the 2006
national elections, they would need to be in effect by July
15 next year, when elections are convoked.

--------------
Electoral Reforms Should Come First
--------------


4. Due to the timeframe, Montufar believes electoral reform,
to include a transformation of the system of representation
and political parties, should be a priority. Montufar
believes that, at the national level, there is a dire need to
restore political legitimacy. PC suggests representation by

districts in Congress, having one deputy for every 150,000
voters. Provinces with less than 150,000 voters would have
one deputy. This would create a Congress with a total of 64
deputies. PC believes this will create a more direct
relationship between constituents and their representatives,
holding deputies more accountable. They also believe this
will give minority groups a better representation. PC also
suggests moving the election of deputies to after the first
round of presidential elections, giving a boost to the
parties in the lead.

-------------- --
Eliminating Political Influence in Institutions
-------------- --


5. PC believes the magistrates for the Constitutional
Tribunal, Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE),Comptroller
General, and Attorney General should be elected through a
public and transparent process. There would be established
professional and personal requirements for candidates,
including that they have no party affiliation. Congress
would designate a Qualifying Commission, free of party
influence, to carry out the selection of these officials.

--------------
Electoral Budget Reform
--------------


6. PC suggests strengthening controls on electoral spending;
political parties currently act with impunity. PC suggests
parties be required to spend 30% of their budgets on training
to create better qualified candidates. The government would
also give scholarships for party leaders under PC's plan.

--------------
A Non-obligatory Vote
--------------


7. PC also suggests making voting non-obligatory so that
citizens will see it as a civilian right and not an
obligation. They feel this would increase feelings of
democratic participation. However, AIDOffs worried the
reform runs the risk of allowing populist parties to increase
their vote-buying. Montufar's response was that within the
current legislation, this already exists; the only way to
combat populism is by educating voters to make better
decisions, not through electoral reforms which have been
tried and ineffective over the past 25 years of democracy.

--------------
Expanding Revocation of Mandates
--------------


8. PC will propose that a Constitutional rewrite clarify the
mechanisms to revoke mandates in order to make elected
officials more accountable. Articles 109-113 of the
Constitution describe the procedure which currently can be
used to revoke the mandates of mayors, prefects, or deputies
for corruption or failing to carry out their work plan.
While the Constitution says that the move must have the
support of at least 30 percent of voters registered within
the elected officials' districts, the exact procedure to
carry out the revocation is not clear.


9. The mechanism has never been used as the Constitution, as
it is written now, is very vague on the subject. PC is also
proposing expanding the article to also include the President
and Vice President. When AIDOffs asked if this could lead to
greater instability, PC replied that looking at the example
of Venezuela, one could see how the mechanism had instead
restored a government's legitimacy.

--------------
Comment
--------------


10. While Ecuador as a whole would benefit from these
proposed reforms, many powerful political groups would not.
Entrenched political parties will not want to lose their
influence within the Constitutional Tribunal and Supreme
Electoral Tribunal. Smaller provinces with populations under
150,000 will not want to go from two to only one deputy.


11. There are other technical challenges such as how the
various reform proposals will be prioritized for inclusion in
the referendum. The referendum must get through Congress as
well, allowing the larger political parties to exercise their
influence.
Kenney