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Constitutional
Background
The agenda for the long-overdue
reform of the constitution ended with the adoption of the new 1998 Constitution
which was adopted on 5 June 1998 and is in force since 10 Aug 1998.
On of its provision, the immediate release of all prisoners held without
trial for more than one year (about 1.000), led to prisoners' hunger strikes
when only few of the eligible inmates were actually released.
Political Parties
The Social Christians are
the parties of former president Leon Febres Cordero. The market-oriented
Social Christian Party (PSC) now runs under Jaime Nebot.
History and News
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10 Aug 1998: New Constitution
in force.
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5 June 1998: Adoption of the
1998 Constitution.
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May 1998: Presidential and congressional
elections.
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25 May 1997: Referendum decides
about constitutional assembly to be formed in 1997. The referendum was
mainly called to confirm Alarcon in his post.
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Feb 1997: Trade unions launch
a nationwide strike against the President's price rises. A congressional
coup ends the Bucaram presidency and later imposes a lifelong ban
on him. Congress removes the president on grounds of "mental incapacity",
but honestly for his growing unpopularity (75% in support of removal, four
arrest warrants for corruption). Congress also votes its own chairman Fabian
Alarcon as new president even though the Constitution formerly requires
that the vice-president (Rosalia Arteaga) take the vacant position
and now does not have any provision about vacancy. Congress unsuccessfully
tried to get a resignation from the vice-president.
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7 July 1996: Abdala Bucaram
wins presidential elections by appealing to the poor (increased subsidies,
slow privatization) against right-of-center candidate Jaime Nebot.
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Oct 1995: Accused of corruption
by the Supreme Court, Vice-President Alberto Dahik leaves the country
in his private plane, starting a constitutional crisis around the three-month
Dahik scandal. Eduardo Pena becomes new vice-president. Supreme
Court investigations were stalled by the government ordering special police
forces to seize microfilm documents in the Central Bank. One Supreme Court
judge is impeached. The Court, supported by the president of Congress,
Fabian Alarcon, threatenes to indict President Sixto Duran Ballen
himself.
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1979: Ecuador becomes a democratic
state.
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1830: Foundation of the Ecuadorian
State.
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