Rafael Correa, former president of Ecuador.
Credit: KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP via Getty Images
(CNN Spanish) -
The National Electoral Council of Ecuador, with three votes in favor and two abstentions, rated favorably this Friday night the binomial of the movement promoted by former President Rafael Correa "Union for Hope", made up of Andrés Arauz and Carlos Rabascall, who plans to participate in the February 2021 elections as candidates for the Presidency and Vice-presidency, respectively.
The electoral body resolved to reject an objection against the participation of this pair and, with this, gave the green light for Arauz and Rabascall to follow the path to make their participation in the contest firm.
The objection was raised against a possible impediment of the vice presidential candidate who, by owning shares in a bank linked to companies that would have accounts in places considered "tax havens", would be prevented from participating.
However, the CNE found no support and dismissed it.
MIRA: The challenges for the economy of Ecuador in the face of the 2021 presidential elections, according to its Minister of Finance
After this resolution, new objections or appeals can still be filed with the Electoral Contentious Tribunal.
José Cabrera, CNE counselor, reported that the correista binomial was described as having "corrected the observations" and for "meeting the requirements established by law."
Former President Rafael Correa, who has resided in Belgium since 2017 and is sentenced to eight years in prison for the crime of bribery, promotes the candidacy of the Arauz-Rabascall binomial and reacted on his Twitter account to the CNE's resolution.
MORE: Judge asks Interpol to issue a red notice to capture Rafael Correa
“Despite all the attempts, they could not eliminate us.
It is the beginning of the end of this nightmare ”, emphasized Correa.
Andrés Arauz, a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic, wrote on his Twitter account that, after this decision, Ecuadorians will have the right to "decide the future at the polls."
Until this Saturday, the Electoral Council of Ecuador has qualified 14 of the 17 presidential pairs registered for the election of February 7, 2021, which could become the election with the highest number of candidates in Ecuadorian history, a country with more than 17 million of inhabitants, according to official figures from the Institute of Statistics and Censuses.
In Ecuador, voting is mandatory.
Rafael Correa