The Organization of American States will be sending observers to the coming presidential and legislative elections in Ecuador next month and to that effect OAS and Ecuador signed the agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of Observers which provides the conditions for the work of the Electoral Observation Mission. The agreement was signed by OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza and the Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the hemispheric body, María Isabel Salvador. Insulza expressed satisfaction at the signing of the document and said that “it is an honour to accompany, once again, Ecuador, its authorities, its political actors and its citizens in the exercise of a fundamental right for democracy.”
“We have accompanied Ecuador 14 times in general elections,” said Secretary General Insulza, “six of them between 2007 and now, which is a significant number in the context of the 201 missions the OAS has made in 50 years”.
The leader of the hemispheric organization recalled that the Chief of Mission, Rafael Alburquerque, former Vice President of the Dominican Republic, and the Deputy Chief, Maria Teresa Mellenkamp, are already on a preliminary visit in Ecuador, where “they are meeting with government officials and the National Electoral Council, and have begun a round of meetings with candidates, media and the diplomatic community in the country.”
Full Article: OAS will send observers to the February 17 general elections in Ecuador — MercoPress.
