PI to CNE: To observe and protect democracy in Ecuador

The elections culminated in a resounding victory for President Luis Arce’s Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), reasserting the power of the indomitable people of Bolivia and the importance of exercising international pressure in solidarity of their will at the ballot box.

Today, the Progressive International announces our petition to the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Ecuador as electoral observers once again. The upcoming elections could not be more critical — for Ecuador, the region, and the world. The Ecuadorian people are facing IMF extortion and unceasing, exclusionary lawfare, denying them the right to define their own economic and political futures. The Progressive International, with a delegation including MPs from Europe and Latin America as well as technical attachés, is watching and will continue to be present to ensure that the people in Ecuador are allowed their fullest democratic expression and decision over their future.

Ms. Diana Atamaint Wamputsar

PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ELECTORAL COUNCIL OF ECUADOR

Quito, Ecuador

December 14, 2020.

Dear Ms. Atamaint Wamputsar:

By way of this letter, we are pleased to address your Authority as deputies, senators, representatives, and scholars convened by the Progressive International (PI) to request accreditation to participate as Observers in the next General Elections in Ecuador, scheduled for February 7, 2021.

We have closely followed the legal challenges that the National Electoral Council (CNE) has faced in the course of organizing an election in unprecedented circumstances. The arrival of our petition to serve as Observers in the upcoming elections thus corresponds with their recent resolution on 8 December 2020.

The delegation of the Progressive International applies for accreditation on the basis of overwhelming international concern for the integrity of the presidential elections in Ecuador. Given the severity of the global pandemic, the extended legal challenges to potential contenders, and the prospects of election postponement, the Progressive International is requesting accreditation to help ensure transparency and a peaceful electoral process in the context of these extraordinary circumstances.

The Progressive International — as well as its members and partners in Latin America and around the world — seeks to support and contribute to the activities of the CNE during the coming elections. Our purpose is both to provide technical expertise and to bolster international legitimacy in the upcoming electoral contest. Our delegation will cover the necessary expenses needed to fulfill our role as international observers.

We thank you for your consideration of our request. We would be grateful if you could please indicate the appropriate next steps and channels for coordination so that we may be present in this decisive moment for Ecuadorian democracy.

Sincerely,

Gerardo Pisarello Prado: Deputy, Congress of Deputies, Spain

Zarah Sultana: Member of Parliament, United Kingdom

Natália Bonavides: Federal Deputy, Chamber of Deputies, Brazil

Glauber de Medeiros Braga: Federal Deputy, Chamber of Deputies, Brazil

Gonzalo Rodolfo Winter Etcheberry: Federal Deputy, Chamber of Deputies, Chile

David Rosnick: Researcher, Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)

Jack R Williams: Researcher, Independent

Steven John Galliver-Andrew: Attorney-At-Law, Garden Court Chambers

David Adler: General Coordinator, Progressive International

Matt Kirkegaard: Coordinator, Progressive International

Tessy Schlosser: Coordinator, Progressive International

Photo: Jana Allingham / Flickr