Equador

A new country

Nowadays Equador is one of the Latin-American countries undergoing more significant transformations. A new economy is consolidating, and new economic classes have emerged from anonymity. Since Equador petroleum wealth is mostly controlled by the State, the government has freed from foreign credit and investment. Equador has overcome its critical shortage of resources and is less dependent on other countries. Quito has become the economic port-city rival. Equador is modernizing rapidly and not long ago it was among the most backward countries of Latin America. In the past, the unequal accumulation of wealth by the high and high-middle-income strata together with inflation and the lack of proportional wages resulted on a regressive redistribution of income that has mostly impacted the rural and the urban poor population. Equador economic development still concentrates in Quito, Guayaquil and the urban areas in general.

Until 2007, the origin of the political struggle and the general instability were due to personal interests among politicians. There were also some other problems like regionalism, religious intolerance, executive freedom and legislative controls. At present, the origin of political conflicts in Equador lies within economic and social issues which gives us a new orientation. Political Parties in Equador were also affected by these changes. We are witnessing the demise of the traditional political system. There has been a profound ideological transformation because of the aparition of new personalities. It is good to know that the new parties are more interested in economic and social issues rather than personal or political preferences.

This year, Equador approved its new Constitution through a Referendum. This could be considered as progressive charter in our history. Regulations for campaigns were established allowing to reduce the influence of electoral powers. Public financing is granted for political movements. On the assumption that political instability has been a result of excessive party fragmentation, the new constirution seeks to reduce the number of political movements. This is perhaps the most important law for democracy in Equador future. Because of this new law, parties loose judicial recognition and thus the right to participate in elections when they fail to obtain at least 5 percent of the vote in two successive electoral rounds. Parties in Equador are not allowed to form an alliance in multiple candidate elections in order to insure the observance of the law mentioned above. Thus, the decision of which parties should exist in Equador is up to the people.

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