Ecuador Will Have a Runoff Election

HAVANA TIMES — The president of the National Electoral Council of Ecuador (CNE), Juan Pablo Pozo, announced today that according to the trend there will be a second round of elections in Ecuador between candidates Lenin Moreno of the ruling party and Guillermo Lasso of the opposition, reported dpa news.

“The trend is marked,” Pozo said, noting that the five percent of outstanding ballots to be tallied will “not change” the trend.

He assured that it is “not possible” that the result be altered, but added that the official proclamation of a second round will come as soon as 100 percent of the ballots are counted.

He showed that with 95.3% of the votes tallied, the candidate of the ruling party Allianza Pais (Lenin Moreno) has 39.21 percent and conservative Guillermo Lasso (CREO) 28.34 percent.

Under the electoral law, Moreno needed 40% in order to win in the first round of voting as long as Lasso lost by at least 10%.

“We are prepared” for a possible second round, Moreno told a press conference prior to the announcement. “I’m fascinated by the idea” of getting back in touch with the people in the campaign, he added.

Meanwhile, Lasso announced his transfer to the Ecuadorian capital of Quito to continue defending the votes until the end of the count and asked his followers to remain “in vigil, but in peaceful.”

According to the electoral calendar, the second round is scheduled for Sunday, April 2 and the campaign will run from March 10 to 30.

The CNE is also preparing to give the final count on the balloting for 137 assembly members, five Andean parliament members and the response to the consultation on tax havens.