Rupture in the ruling party affects the Assembly
18 enero 2018

Former President Rafael Correa along with 28 Assembly members, Andean parliamentarians, councilmen and former public officers announced their disaffiliation from Alianza País, the ruling party since 2007. The former party members will establish a new political movement called Revolución Ciudadana.

Former President Rafael Correa (2007-2017) founded Alianza PAÍS in 2006. The break-up finally became official following months of confrontation between Correa and his successor, Lenin Moreno.

This massive departure is a result of the decision by the Electoral Court (Tribunal Contencioso Electoral – TCE), which recognized public officers close to Moreno as authorities of Alianza PAÍS. Thus, the then-executive secretary Gabriela Rivadeneira, close to the former president, was replaced by Ricardo Zambrano.

Following the large disaffiliation, Correa’s followers announced they would establish a new party, which might be called Citizen Revolution (Revolución Ciudadana), as Correa himself called the political process that began with his presidency.

Consequences of the break-up in the ruling party

Intra-party tensions had already been made public in the past, as showcased when Correism opposed to the president’s proposal to transferring electronic money to private banks in the Congress. Nonetheless, this event will reshape the political scenario due to the entrance of a new opposition player: ‘the Citizen Revolution movement’.

The new party and the government will have the chance to measure their forces in the upcoming popular consultation, on February 4th. This mechanism aims to eliminate indefinite re-election and to reshape the Council of Citizen Participation and Social Control (Consejo de Participación Ciudadana y de Control Social), among other things. Correism has already informed that it will summon the citizenry to vote against the consultation, thus upholding indefinite re-election.

The split of the ruling party will also have an impact on the National Assembly, given that 28 legislators have disaffiliated so far. The National Assembly has 137 members, which 74 were part of Alianza PAIS. Once the break-up becomes official, the ruling party will be represented only by 46 legislators, meaning they will lose parliamentary majority (69 legislators required). The breakaway congressmen announced they will organize a new parliamentary group, even though the new parliamentary group it has not been officially created yet.

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