Correa and his followers resign from Alianza País following court ruling, plan to form new party

Former president Rafael Correa was one of the first members to officially resign from Alianza País (AP) following yesterday’s ruling by the Electoral Contentious Court (TCE) that confirmed an earlier decision to recognize supporters of President Lenin Moreno as the legitimate representatives of AP.

Former president Rafael Correa signs his resignation from Alianza Pais Tuesday morning. (El Telegrafo)

Correa, who was one of the founders of AP in 2006, signed a document disaffiliating himself from the party Tuesday morning at National Electoral Council offices in Babahoyo. Gabriela Rivadeneira, who the TCE ruled against as AP executive secretary, also resigned and said 27 other AP members of the National Assembly loyal to Correa would turn in their resignations.

Before the resignations, AP had 74 members in the assembly.

Members of the National Assembly block who support Moreno said they are saddened by the resignations but said they were inevitable. “It is regrettable but it gives the rest of us a chance to reorganize Assembly committees to be more productive and to support the programs of the president,” said Assemblywoman Elizabeth Cabezas. Many key committee chairs, she added, were held by AP members loyal to Correa who impeded progress of the Moreno agenda.

“They blockaded a great deal of legislation and now those chairs can be handed over to assembly members who want to move forward,” she said.

If the former AP Correistas remain united, they would be the third largest block in the National Assembly following the AP Moreno loyalists and center-right CREO. Rivadeneira says a new political party of the disafilliated will be formed under the name Revolución Ciudadana.