(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Adults in Ecuador have become more skeptical about their Constituent Assembly, according to a poll by Cedatos/Gallup. 43 per cent of respondents approve of the ad-hoc legislative body’s performance, down 19 points since November.

Rafael Correa, a former finance minister, ran for president as an independent leftist under the Alliance Country (AP) banner. In November 2006, Correa defeated Álvaro Noboa of the conservative Institutional Renewal Party of National Action (PRIAN) in a run-off with 56.69 per cent of the vote. He officially took over as Ecuador’s head of state in January and vowed to change the country’s Constitution. Correa’s party nominated no candidates to the National Congress.

In April 2007, Ecuadorian citizens participated in a referendum to enact a Constituent Assembly. The president’s proposal was backed by 82 per cent of all voters. In September, Correa’s supporters—running under the Movement Country (MP) banner—secured 80 seats in the 130-member Constituent Assembly, enough to enact changes without seeking compromises with political opponents.

On Nov. 29, Ecuador’s Constituent Assembly officially began its work, and suspended the National Congress. The ad-hoc legislative body has six months to finish a draft. The proposed Constitution must be ratified in a nationwide referendum. The Constituent Assembly is expected to discuss a wide variety of topics, including the possibility of consecutive presidential re-election, as well as new oil and mining regulations.

On Dec. 28, the Constituent Assembly passed a new fiscal reform package. The proposal—which is expected to generate roughly $300 million U.S. a year for the government—sets new guidelines in areas such as inheritance and the exploitation of natural resources. On that same day, Correa issued a warning to business leaders, saying, "We will respond firmly to the speculators who want to destabilize a democratic government."

Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove the performance as of the Constituent Assembly?

Source: Cedatos/Gallup
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,289 Ecuadorian adults, conducted on Dec. 22 and Dec. 23, 2007. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.

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