Ecuador Lawmakers Re-Elect Nationwide Meeting President

QUITO (Reuters) – Unbiased lawmaker Virgilio Saquicela was re-elected president of Ecuador’s Nationwide Meeting on Sunday, supported by politicians who need an impeachment course of towards President Guillermo Lasso to advance to a vote for his attainable removing.

Saquicela, who took over as president of the Nationwide Meeting in Might final 12 months, has change into a principal determine within the course of towards Lasso, who’s accused of embezzlement in an oil transportation contract.

Lasso has denied the accusations.

The meeting voted to proceed with the impeachment course of on Tuesday in a session convened by Saquicela with 88 votes in favor out of 116 legislators current.

A majority of 96 lawmakers of the 136 current voted to re-elect Saquicela. He was supported by allies of former President Rafael Correa, who’s convicted of corruption, in addition to different opposition and impartial events.

“This parliament must be the counterweight towards energy, not towards anybody particularly, however as a result of that’s what democracy dictates,” Saquicela mentioned.

Ecuador’s opposition accuse Lasso of turning a blind eye to suspected embezzlement associated to a contract at state-owned oil transportation firm Flopec. Lasso says his administration made modifications to the contract, which was signed years earlier than he took workplace, to profit the state.

Beneath Ecuador’s structure, Lasso may name early presidential and legislative elections fairly than face a removing vote.

Saquicela, who shaped a part of a caucus of legislators supporting the federal government, brazenly helps impeachment hearings and has warned that dissolving the meeting in the course of proceedings could be unconstitutional.

Ninety-two votes from the 137-member meeting are wanted to take away Lasso. Some opposition members tried to take away him final 12 months amid protests by Indigenous teams.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by Oliver Griffin; enhancing by Grant McCool)

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