Noboa’s seven referendum questions must first be reviewed by the Constitutional Court

Although President Daniel Noboa announced a December 14 date for a national referendum last week, some of the seven questions he released Tuesday could delay the vote. The questions must first be reviewed by the Constitutional Court, and some may require debate in the National Assembly and further review by the court.

President Daniel Noboa

“Today we take a new step in calling a popular consultation on critical issues that citizens consider to be of an urgent nature,” Noboa said. “With these seven questions, we will give them the opportunity to make needed changes.”

The questions are:

• Do you agree to remove the prohibition on establishing foreign military bases or foreign installations for military purposes on the national territory, and on ceding national military bases to foreign armed or security forces, partially amending the Constitution in accordance?
• Do you agree with the elimination of the State’s obligation to allocate resources from the General State Budget to political organizations, partially reforming the Constitution?
• Do you agree with eliminating the Council for Citizen Participation and Social Control (CPCCS), and transferring its duties and powers to the National Assembly, the Ombudsman’s Office and the Office of the Comptroller General of the State, amending the Constitution?
• Do you agree with reducing the number of assembly members from 151 to 71, and for this purpose, modifying the election system, amending the Constitution?
• Do you agree with allowing hourly employment for the tourism sector, provided that it is the first employment relationship, guaranteeing labor rights and respecting the acquired rights of workers, amending the Constitution?
• Do you agree that the judges of the Constitutional Court should be subject to impeachment by the National Assembly, amending the Constitution?
• Do you agree with allowing the operation of gambling halls and casinos in hotels categorized as five stars, which will pay the State a tax of twenty-five percent (25%) of their sales, with the proceeds to finance programs to combat chronic child malnutrition and school meals.

The question requiring a reduction in the size of the National Assembly was rejected in a 2023 referendum presented by former president Guillermo Lasso, while the question to allow casinos was first considered by Noboa for the 2024 referendum but was later withdrawn.

In its review, the Constitutional Court must decide if the questions, if approved, would be amendments to the Constitution or revisions to the Constitution itself. In the second case, the questions would be debated and voted on by the National Assembly and, if approved, be reviewed a second time by the court, a process that could be push a public vote back to January 2026.

This is the second referendum of Noboa’s presidency. In April 2024, voters approved nine of 11 questions he proposed.