European Union Ecuador Election Observation 2007 www.eueomecuador.org This report was produced by the EU Election Observation Mission and presents the EU EOM's findings on the Ecuador Constituent Assembly elections of 30 September 2007. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the European Commission. The European Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this report, nor does it accept responsibility for any use made thereof. European Union Election Observation Mission Constituent Assembly, Ecuador 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................... I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................. 5 POLITICAL BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................... 6 A. POLITICAL CONTEXT................................................................................................................ 6 B. POLITICAL PARTIES AND MOVEMENTS........................................................................................ 7 LEGAL ISSUES ................................................................................................................................ 9 A. LEGAL FRAMEWORK................................................................................................................ 9 B. COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS PROCEDURES ............................................................................... 14 C. ELECTORAL OFFENCES .......................................................................................................... 17 D. ENFORCEMENT OF LEGAL PROVISIONS BY THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATION ................................. 18 E. ELECTORAL SYSTEM................................................................................................................ 19 ELECTION ADMINISTRATION ...................................................................................................... 22 A. STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATION........................................... 22 B. ADMINISTRATION OF THE ELECTIONS ........................................................................................ 24 VOTER REGISTRATION................................................................................................................. 26 A. THE RIGHT TO VOTE............................................................................................................... 26 B. VOTER REGISTRATION PROCEDURES ........................................................................................ 26 OUT OF COUNTRY VOTING ........................................................................................................ 29 REGISTRATION OF CANDIDATES AND PARTY LISTS ................................................................... 30 A. REGISTRATION PROCEDURES .................................................................................................. 30 B. COMPLAINTS RELATED TO CANDIDATES REGISTRATION ............................................................. 31 FINANCING OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND CAMPAIGN FINANCING......................................... 32 ELECTION CAMPAIGN AND PRE-ELECTION ENVIRONMENT..................................................... 34 A. OVERVIEW OF THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN................................................................................ 34 B. COMPLAINTS RELATED TO THE CAMPAIGN PERIOD................................................................... 35 C. VOTER EDUCATION............................................................................................................... 37 MEDIA AND ELECTIONS.............................................................................................................. 39 A. MEDIA LANDSCAPE .............................................................................................................. 39 B. LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE MEDIA AND ELECTIONS ............................................................... 40 C. MONITORING OF MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE ELECTIONS .......................................................... 41 i European Union Election Observation Mission Constituent Assembly, Ecuador 2007 PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN THE ELECTORAL PROCESS....................................................... 45 PARTICIPATION OF INDIGENOUS AND AFRO-ECUADORIAN PEOPLES.................................... 47 PARTICIPATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY ............................................................................................ 49 ELECTION DAY: POLLING AND COUNTING............................................................................... 50 A. OVERVIEW OF VOTING.......................................................................................................... 50 B. COUNTING ........................................................................................................................... 52 C. OFFENSES DURING THE ELECTION DAY .................................................................................... 54 RESULTS ....................................................................................................................................... 55 A. TABULATION OF RESULTS ........................................................................................................ 55 B. ANNOUNCEMENT AND PUBLICATION OF RESULTS...................................................................... 57 C. COMPLAINTS RELATING TO THE ELECTION RESULTS ................................................................... 57 D. POLITICAL OVERVIEW OF THE ELECTION RESULTS ...................................................................... 59 RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................60 I. ENHANCING THE EFFICIENCY, TRANSPARENCY AND INDEPENDENCE OF THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATION ....................................................................................................................... 60 II. THE ELECTION PREPARATION ................................................................................................... 61 III. VOTER REGISTRATION ............................................................................................................ 61 IV. THE REGISTRATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES, MOVEMENTS AND CANDIDATES................................ 62 V. THE OUT OF COUNTRY VOTING.............................................................................................. 62 VI. THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM ........................................................................................................ 63 VII. ELECTION DAY PROCEDURES................................................................................................ 64 VIII. THE TABULATION AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE RESULTS................................................... 64 IX. STRENGTHENING THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK ............................................................................... 65 X. ADMINISTRATIVE AND JUDICIAL SANCTIONS............................................................................. 65 XI. HANDLING COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS.................................................................................. 66 XII. STRENGTHENING THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY AND THE STABILITY OF THE INSTITUTIONS... 66 XIII. THE ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN ................................................................................................ 67 XIV. INDIGENOUS AND AFRO-ECUADORIAN PEOPLES’ PARTICIPATION .......................................... 67 XV. PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN................................................................................................. 67 XVI. MEDIA IN ELECTIONS .......................................................................................................... 68 ANNEXES..................................................................................................................................... 69 ANNEX 1: RATIO INHABITANTS AND VOTERS PER SEAT - PROVINCES.............................................. 69 ANNEX 2: EFFECTS OF THE "EXACT AVERAGE WEIGHT FACTOR"................................................... 71 ANNEX 3: INEQUALITIES IN THE "VOTING POWER" OF THE DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES..................... 73 ii European Union Election Observation Mission Constituent Assembly, Ecuador 2007 ANNEX 4: VOTER REGISTER UPDATED AT 3 JUNE 2007................................................................ 76 ANNEX 5: MEDIA .................................................................................................................... 77 ANNEX 6: WOMEN HEAD OF LIST.............................................................................................. 80 ANNEX 7: ELECTED WOMEN..................................................................................................... 82 ANNEX 8: ELECTION RESULTS .................................................................................................... 83 ANNEX 9: STUDY ON THE EXACT AVERAGE WEIGHT FACTOR....................................................... 85 iii European Union Election Observation Mission Constituent Assembly, Ecuador 2007 EXECUTIVE