Election council sets referendum vote for February 4

Ecuadorians will go to the polls February 4, 2018 to vote on seven referendum questions that President Lenin Moreno wants answered in the affirmative.

Among the questions is one that, if approved, would reverse a constitutional amendment introduced by former president Rafael Correa that eliminated term limits for some elected officials, including the president. A yes vote would mean Correa would not be allowed to run again for president.

CNE president Nubia Villacis displays the questions to be included on the February 4 referendum ballot.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) voted unanimously Friday morning to proceed with the election. “Once the election process begins, it cannot be stopped,” said CNE president Nubia Villacís.

Moreno celebrated the CNE decision, Tweeting, “The CNE has declared that the electoral period (for the referendum) begins today. Today, we begin building the future that we dream about for our children! We’re going for a resounding ‘yes’.”

On Wednesday, Moreno issued presidential decrees ordering CNE to begin making preparations for the election. The orders ended the review process of the referendum questions by the Constitutional Court, which according to Moreno, had taken longer than its legally allotted 20 days to complete its work.

The CRE said campaigning for the election will begin January 3 and end on February 1. The council said it would invite 110 international observers to oversee the election, including a delegation from the European Union.

According to the CRE, the election will cost $48.3 million.

The referendum questions

1) Do you agree with the amendment of the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador, so that it sanctions all persons convicted of acts of corruption with their inability to participate in the political life of the country, and with the loss of their property?

2) Do you agree to guarantee the principle of alternation to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador so that all the authorities of popular election can be re-elected once for the same office, recovering the mandate of the Constitution of Montecristi and nullifying the indefinite re-election approved by amendment by the National Assembly on December 3, 2015?

3) Do you agree to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador to restructure the Council of Citizen Participation and Social Control, as well as to terminate the constitutional term of its current members, and that the Council that transitorily assumes its functions has power to evaluate the performance of the authorities whose designation corresponds to him, being able, if the case, to anticipate the termination of his periods?

4) Do you agree to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador so that they never prescribe sexual crimes against children and adolescents?

5) Do you agree to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador so that metallic mining in all its stages, in protected areas, intangible zones and urban centers, is banned without exception?

6) Do you agree with the repeal of the Organic Law to avoid speculation on the value of land and taxation, known as the “Capital Gains Law” ?.

7) Do you agree to increase the intangible zone by at least 50,000 hectares and reduce the area of ​​oil exploitation authorized by the National Assembly in the Yasuní National Park from 1,030 hectares to 300 hectares?