The member of the National Electoral Council (CNE), José Cabrera, reported that the organization is operationally ready and the staff is trained to organize the consultation process, but the Ministry of Finance still owes it $20 million from the last elections.
Of that amount, seven million would go to the Military Geographic Institute, which is responsible for printing ballots, Cabrera said.
He also explained that once the examination of the questions proposed by the executive in the Constitutional Court has been passed, the request for the referendum will be published in the official register and the 15 days for calling the ballot boxes and the 60 days for drawing up candidates will begin immediately. the vote.
The forecast assumes that the vote will take place in late March or early April of this year 2024.
To carry out the procedure, the CNE must hire about 40,000 employees and the government must submit the budget to start contracting out services, Cabrera added.
This week, President Noboa announced the contents of eleven questions and today announced that he may send additional questions to the court for consideration.
The president's proposal has provoked different opinions in this South American country and is considered inappropriate, unnecessary and unpredictable.
Most questions relate to the army's role in fighting organized crime. They propose that the military participate in the control of weapons and ammunition and that certain crimes such as terrorism, murder and organized crime be punished with the maximum penalty.
Politicians and observers point out that these problems can be solved through legal reforms without spending money on ballot boxes.
Another question that is widely questioned is the one that proposes the return of casinos, gaming and betting offices, companies that allow large-scale money laundering and the concealment of resources from illegal activities linked to organized crime, warn analysts.
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