Quito, May 24 (Prensa Latina) Ecuador’s National Electoral Council (CNE) is preparing early general elections today and has already approved the schedule and budget for those votes, the first round of which will take place on August 20th.
Funds to ensure the electoral process of the country’s highest executive and legislative bodies will amount to $79 million,940,920 thousand, as agreed at a plenary session of the CNE on Tuesday evening.
This amount would be required if there were two postponing votes, but if it were not absolutely necessary to vote twice, the amount is reduced to $48 million,317 thousand,814.
Among other things, it is planned to print ballots and other documents, technological strengthening, recruitment of personnel, campaigns, debates between candidates.
At the CNE meeting on Tuesday evening, the authorities also determined the timetable for the votes.
August 20th was set as the election date, the run-off election is expected to take place on October 15th.
Candidate registration runs from May 28th to June 10th, while the campaign lasts just ten days, from August 8th to 17th.
Once the calendar and budget are approved, this Wednesday the CNE will officially invite the 13 million Ecuadorians on the electoral roll to participate in the vote.
The death cross decree issued by President Guillermo Lasso last week forced the organization of an extraordinary electoral process to elect the President, Vice President and 137 members of the Assembly, who will only serve until 2025.
Although Lasso’s decision was considered fraudulent because it was intended to save himself from impeachment, it is listed here as hope for the country amid political crisis, uncertainty and economic woes.
rgh/avr