Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09QUITO555
2009-07-06 23:01:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Quito
how-toVZCZCXYZ0002 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHQT #0555 1872301 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 062301Z JUL 09 FM AMEMBASSY QUITO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0586 INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 8238 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 4210 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3620 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JUL LIMA 3291 RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL 4454
UNCLAS QUITO 000555
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV EC
SUBJECT: ELECTION RESULTS AT LAST OFFICIAL
REF: QUITO 475
UNCLAS QUITO 000555
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV EC
SUBJECT: ELECTION RESULTS AT LAST OFFICIAL
REF: QUITO 475
1. (SBU) Summary: The official proclamation of election
results on July 1 will allow President Correa's inauguration
for his second term to take place on August 10, as he wanted.
Due to the number of challenges and appeals, the public
waited 66 days to learn the official outcome. Correa's
movement, which won 59 of 124 seats in the National Assembly,
has gained three allies so far, and is seeking the support of
additional Assembly members elected under other party
banners. End Summary.
CORREA GETS HIS WAY
2. (U) Sixty-six days after the April 26 general elections,
official results for the 15 National Assembly members elected
on a national basis were finally proclaimed on July 1. The
official results for all elections held on April 26 and June
14 have now been announced. This sets the timetable for
these officials to begin their terms given that the
constitution's transition provisions required the National
Assembly to be sworn in 30 days after the proclamation of all
election results, and the president ten days later.
3. (SBU) Both the National Electoral Council and the
Elections Disputes Tribunal rushed their administrative
procedures so that Correa could be inaugurated on August 10,
which coincides with the 200th anniversary of Ecuador's
so-called "Call for Independence," a date of great symbolic
significance. National Electoral Council president Omar
Simon told us that each provincial electoral council had
already proclaimed the results for the National Assembly
members representing provinces, so this announcement
concludes the process. Hence, there was no official
announcement of the aggregate National Assembly seats won by
each party.
PAIS BUILDING MAJORITY
4. (SBU) Press figures for the National Assembly breakdown
show that PAIS won 59 out of the 124 seats, followed by 19
for the Patriotic Society Party, 11 for the Social Christian
Party, seven for the Institutional Renewal and National
Action Party, and the rest distributed among other parties
with less than five seats each. While PAIS's tally of 59 is
just short of a majority, Coordinating Minister of Politics
Ricardo Patino claimed that the government would control 80
votes in the future Assembly through alliances with smaller
groups. The radical Popular Democratic Movement (MPD) was
originally expected to ally with PAIS, but MPD has since
become estranged by the government's insistence on teacher
evaluations that the MPD-associated teachers' union opposed.
Legislative Commission President Fernando Cordero suggested a
few weeks ago that the new Municipal Movement might ally with
PAIS, but its leader, former Quito mayor Paco Mancayo,
rejected that idea. PAIS claims that it has secured the
support of one defector from PSP, one Socialist Party/Broad
Front member, and one member elected as the sole
representative of a small political movement. According to
the 2008 constitution, the National Assembly will be in place
until May 2013.
5. (SBU) The 5,959 government officials elected by popular
vote on April 26 and June 14 are now all decided. In
addition to the president/vice president and the 124 National
Assembly members, this includes prefects and vice prefects,
mayors, local city and parish council members, and Andean
Parliament representatives. The process of determining the
election results appeals was particularly contentions in the
case of Manta, Manabi province, where the Electoral Disputes
Tribunal changed the originally announced election outcome,
determining after a recount that a different mayoral
candidate had won.
COMMENT
6. (SBU) The pressure exerted by the Correa administration on
the electoral authorities was evident in the rush with which
results were proclaimed in order to meet the date he had
chosen to be inaugurated. It is not clear whether political
actors will be satisfied with the treatment received in the
rushed appeals process. However, nobody denies that
President Correa will begin a new term with newfound power
now that he has supporters holding local government positions.
HODGES
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV EC
SUBJECT: ELECTION RESULTS AT LAST OFFICIAL
REF: QUITO 475
1. (SBU) Summary: The official proclamation of election
results on July 1 will allow President Correa's inauguration
for his second term to take place on August 10, as he wanted.
Due to the number of challenges and appeals, the public
waited 66 days to learn the official outcome. Correa's
movement, which won 59 of 124 seats in the National Assembly,
has gained three allies so far, and is seeking the support of
additional Assembly members elected under other party
banners. End Summary.
CORREA GETS HIS WAY
2. (U) Sixty-six days after the April 26 general elections,
official results for the 15 National Assembly members elected
on a national basis were finally proclaimed on July 1. The
official results for all elections held on April 26 and June
14 have now been announced. This sets the timetable for
these officials to begin their terms given that the
constitution's transition provisions required the National
Assembly to be sworn in 30 days after the proclamation of all
election results, and the president ten days later.
3. (SBU) Both the National Electoral Council and the
Elections Disputes Tribunal rushed their administrative
procedures so that Correa could be inaugurated on August 10,
which coincides with the 200th anniversary of Ecuador's
so-called "Call for Independence," a date of great symbolic
significance. National Electoral Council president Omar
Simon told us that each provincial electoral council had
already proclaimed the results for the National Assembly
members representing provinces, so this announcement
concludes the process. Hence, there was no official
announcement of the aggregate National Assembly seats won by
each party.
PAIS BUILDING MAJORITY
4. (SBU) Press figures for the National Assembly breakdown
show that PAIS won 59 out of the 124 seats, followed by 19
for the Patriotic Society Party, 11 for the Social Christian
Party, seven for the Institutional Renewal and National
Action Party, and the rest distributed among other parties
with less than five seats each. While PAIS's tally of 59 is
just short of a majority, Coordinating Minister of Politics
Ricardo Patino claimed that the government would control 80
votes in the future Assembly through alliances with smaller
groups. The radical Popular Democratic Movement (MPD) was
originally expected to ally with PAIS, but MPD has since
become estranged by the government's insistence on teacher
evaluations that the MPD-associated teachers' union opposed.
Legislative Commission President Fernando Cordero suggested a
few weeks ago that the new Municipal Movement might ally with
PAIS, but its leader, former Quito mayor Paco Mancayo,
rejected that idea. PAIS claims that it has secured the
support of one defector from PSP, one Socialist Party/Broad
Front member, and one member elected as the sole
representative of a small political movement. According to
the 2008 constitution, the National Assembly will be in place
until May 2013.
5. (SBU) The 5,959 government officials elected by popular
vote on April 26 and June 14 are now all decided. In
addition to the president/vice president and the 124 National
Assembly members, this includes prefects and vice prefects,
mayors, local city and parish council members, and Andean
Parliament representatives. The process of determining the
election results appeals was particularly contentions in the
case of Manta, Manabi province, where the Electoral Disputes
Tribunal changed the originally announced election outcome,
determining after a recount that a different mayoral
candidate had won.
COMMENT
6. (SBU) The pressure exerted by the Correa administration on
the electoral authorities was evident in the rush with which
results were proclaimed in order to meet the date he had
chosen to be inaugurated. It is not clear whether political
actors will be satisfied with the treatment received in the
rushed appeals process. However, nobody denies that
President Correa will begin a new term with newfound power
now that he has supporters holding local government positions.
HODGES