Presidential Elections in Ecuador

When?

• The Ecuador Presidential Elections voting starts on 02/17/2013 from 7.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. EST.

What is the Election for?

• President
• Vice-president
• Five representatives for Parliament
• 137 representatives for the National Assembly

The Candidates

Lucio Gutiérrez- PSE (Partido Socialista-Frente Amplio)

Gutiérrez’s campaign is based on a strong employment plan, the authorization to carry firearms, imposing visa requirements on foreigners and an increase of poverty mitigation and housing bonds.

Another important axis of the candidate’s campaign is the weight that is placed on youth employment. Those businesses willing to employ the young, the elderly or people with mental disabilities would receive tax incentives.

Álvaro Noboa – PRIAN (Partido Renovador Institucional Acción Nacional)

Noboa’s campaign emphasises, on the one hand, the development of the health area and, on the other, the development of education by providing food in schools and focusing on the teaching of English and the exact sciences. Noboa also stresses the need for modern education centres and promoting research in universities. The campaign also focuses on the agricultural sector, in which public and private credit is to be invested to develop infrastructure and technology, and to motivate research in the agricultural field.

Nelson Zabala – PRE (Partido Roldosista Ecuatoriano)

This party is characterized by the promotion of institutionalized politics, including constitutional reforms based on popular agreement. They are in favour of choosing governors by popular election and legislative body divided into two houses.

Guillermo Lasso – CREO

Lasso defends the interests of all entrepreneurs by promising the simplification of the processes to establish new businesses. This would be achieved by reducing the bureaucratic paperwork and allowing the proper environment for the development of new industries.

Mauricio Rodas – SUMA (Sociedad Unida Más Acción)

Rodas is also trying to promote the development of job opportunities, especially for those who are seeking first-time employment. The party has ideated a program by which businesses would get tax remuneration if they hire first-time employees, and there would be an on-line webpage to unify and bring together employers with potential employees.

Norman Wray – RUPTURA

Wray’s plan is based on the development of local industries. He is in favour of investment in reforestation programs for commercial use and to preserve biodiversity. The party is also looking to replace imported resources and industrialized products with national ones, and help the country become an export-based nation. To bring about the change, Wray suggests exploiting the country’s advantage of tourism.

Rafael Correa – Alianza País

Correa is the current Ecuadorian president. His proposal for the next term is based on the same lines he had when he became President in 2007: to create an inclusive, equal society which promotes the wellbeing, justice and peace of the citizens. The party is deeply committed to improving the situation of the less wealthy, the aboriginal tribes and other minorities to the detriment of the land-owning sector.

Correa’s plan is the longest and most detailed one with hundreds of goals to be achieved. However, the lack of concrete ways to achieve those aims is quite noticeable.

Alberto Acosta – MPD-PACHAKUTIK

This candidate is in favour of the redistribution of wealth, avoiding the exploitation of natural resources. Mining will not be supported, and mining legislation will be amended to facilitate this. New oil exploitations will not be allowed to guarantee the peoples’ security.

So far, the current President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, is said to be leading in the polls, but there are still a few more days in which the tide could turn.

Sources
Elecciones en Ecuador
Vote Bien Ecuador
Movimiento Alianza Paíz
Finanzas.com