President Daniel Noboa questions first-round results of Ecuador’s election

The right-wing incumbent is acceptable to look his left-leaning rival, Luisa Gonzalez, successful a 2nd circular of voting successful April.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has formed uncertainty connected the result of the country’s caller statesmanlike race, saying the first-round results appeared to amusement “irregularities”.

On Tuesday, Noboa gave an interrogation to Ecuador’s Radio Centro successful which helium expressed scepticism astir the results, though helium failed to connection impervious of immoderate malfeasance.

“There person been galore irregularities, and we are inactive counting,” Noboa said. “We are inactive checking successful definite provinces wherever determination were things that did not adhd up.”

But autarkic predetermination observers rapidly fired backmost that determination appeared to beryllium nary discrepancies with the voting tally.

The Organization of American States (OAS) sent a ngo to observe Sunday’s election. It said its information confirmed the authoritative results, wrong a borderline of error.

“The mission, to date, has not identified oregon received indications of wide irregularities that could change the results of the election,” the OAS wrote successful a statement.

“At the aforesaid time, it invites immoderate ailment to beryllium filed with the applicable authorities.”

Another predetermination transparency group, sent by the European Union, responded with a akin statement.

“We bash not person a azygous nonsubjective constituent that determination was immoderate benignant of fraud,” said Gabriel Mato, a subordinate of the European Parliament progressive successful Ecuador’s predetermination monitoring.

Mato noted that some Noboa and his left-wing rival, Luisa Gonzalez, had expressed reservations astir the accuracy of the results.

The archetypal circular of voting ended with the 2 candidates successful a virtual tie, each receiving astir 44 percent of the ballots. That meant they would proceed to a run-off.

“I profoundly regret that, successful summation to misinformation, determination has been a definite communicative of fraud successful these elections,” Mato said. “There is nary nonsubjective grounds to enactment this accusation oregon narrative.”

A worker stands defender during a run rally for President Daniel Noboa connected February 6 [Dolores Ochoa/AP Photo]

A past of butting heads

Noboa and Gonzalez are longtime adversaries connected the run trail. They archetypal went head-to-head successful 2023, aft then-President Guillermo Lasso invoked a never-before-used law mechanics called the “muerte cruzada” oregon “crossed death”.

That dissolved the National Assembly and ended Lasso’s presidency early. A drawback predetermination was called to find who would service the remainder of Lasso’s term: a play of 18 months.

The lad of a affluent banana manufacture baron, Noboa had been a first-term assembly idiosyncratic until the dissolution of the legislature.

Leading a recently created centre-right governmental coalition, Noboa entered the crowded contention to regenerate Lasso arsenic a acheronian equine – an improbable prospect. The frontrunner astatine the clip was Gonzalez, the protege of erstwhile President Rafael Correa, a divisive fig successful Ecuadorian politics.

Correa has faced corruption charges and has been sentenced successful absentia to 8 years successful prison. He presently lives successful exile successful Belgium.

The 2023 contention ended with Gonzalez and Noboa competing against each different successful a run-off election, which Noboa yet won. He received 52 percent of the ballot to Gonzalez’s 48.

But the 2 person remained fierce critics of 1 another, starring to Sunday’s rematch successful the 2025 wide elections. If palmy successful his re-election bid, Noboa would triumph his archetypal afloat word of 4 years.

In Tuesday’s interrogation with Radio Centro, Noboa took jabs astatine Gonzalez’s Citizen Revolution party, accusing its members of releasing criminals from Ecuador’s jails to power the vote.

Meanwhile, helium praised his voters for heading to the polls, contempt what helium described arsenic “threats” against them.

“I americium arrogant of the mode successful which the large bulk of Ecuadorians behaved successful these elections. Despite thousands of threats, they decided to ballot for progress,” helium said.

While Noboa added that helium had grounds for his allegations, nary was provided.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, blasted Noboa’s accusation that her votes were won done criminality.

“The voters of the [Citizen Revolution] ARE NEITHER NARCOS NOR CRIMINALS,” she posted connected societal media.

She highlighted the information that Noboa had failed to tamp down connected Ecuador’s rising transgression rates, contempt heavy-handed tactics that critics said led to human rights abuses.

Gonzalez besides blasted Noboa for run irregularities: The president’s determination to run for re-election portion delegating authorization to an interim vice president was precocious declared unconstitutional.

Even erstwhile President Correa weighed successful connected societal media. “What atrocious losers!” Correa said of Noboa and his allies.

Both Noboa and Gonzalez beforehand to a 2nd circular of voting connected April 13.