OAS expresses concern, calls for transparency over Ecuador's electoral process
Issued on: 16/02/2021 - 06:14
Modified: 16/02/2021 - 06:12
Ecuadorian presidential candidate Yaku Perez, pictured February 12, 2021 greeting his supporters during a demonstration in front of the National Electoral Council in Quito, has alleged electoral fraud in the first round of voting Cristina Vega RHOR AFP/File
2 min
Quito (AFP)
The Organization of American States expressed "concern" Monday over Ecuador's election, and urged the country's top electoral body to "provide guarantees of certainty and transparency" to the political parties involved.
It comes after Ecuador's National Electoral Council (CNE) announced Friday it would conduct a partial recount of the February 7 presidential vote, which finished with the candidates for second place tied neck-and-neck.
One, environmental lawyer Yaku Perez, has since alleged wrongdoing.
"The Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Ecuador expresses its concern about the lack of definition by the electoral authority and is paying close attention to the latest developments in the electoral process," the OAS said in a statement on Twitter.
The recount was requested by Perez and his rival, right-wing ex-banker Guillermo Lasso, after the former received 19.38 percent of the vote, with Lasso on 19.74 percent.
The result means it is unclear who will face leftist economist Andres Arauz in a runoff election -- the 36-year-old protege of former socialist president Rafael Correa got 32.7 percent, which is not enough to win outright.
More:
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210216-oas-expresses-concern-calls-for-transparency-over-ecuador-s-electoral-process
