QUITO, Feb 11, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Ecuador’s outgoing President Lenin Moreno called on the National Electoral Council (CNE) Wednesday to deliver accurate election results quickly, as doubt remains days after the vote over who will join Andres Arauz in an April presidential run-off.
“The country needs the results, but also the total confidence in those results,” Moreno said in comments directed at the electoral body, which is still counting after Sunday’s general election.
Indigenous rights activist Yaku Perez is narrowly clinging onto second place with 19.65 percent, ahead of right-wing ex-banker Guillermo Lasso on 19.60 percent, with 3.36 percent of votes still to be counted.
Leftist economist Arauz is in front with 32.44 percent.
Moreno also called on the CNE to “respond to every request for revision” of votes subject to inconsistencies and to do so with “the utmost transparency.”
CNE head Diana Atamaint insisted the body was “realizing a transparent process.”
Perez, 51, an environmental lawyer, has already claimed a potential “fraud” was taking place to keep him out of the second round, although he didn’t give details.
His supporters have been protesting outside CNE offices since Sunday.
Moreno, who didn’t stand for re-election and whose term ends on May 24, has called on all candidates to demonstrate “their democratic vocation and the maximum care for social peace.”
Perez has also called on his supporters to remain “calm … while waiting for the results patiently.”
“We don’t want conflicts, we don’t want to break the peace, we don’t want violence,” he added.