Ecuador voters reinstate presidential term limits News
Ecuador voters reinstate presidential term limits

Voters in Ecuador on Sunday voted to reinstate a two-term limit for elected officials, with 64 percent of voters [results, in Spanish] in favor of referendum question 2, which would amend the constitution so that all elected officials can only be re-elected once for the same office.

Referendum 2 reinstates the term limits in place until 2015 when former president Rafael Correa’s political party amended [JURIST report] the constitution to lift the limits on presidential terms. The amendment was to begin just in time for the 2021 election, which would have made Correa eligible to run again for president. Since the passage of the referendum, Correa will no longer be allowed to run for president in the 2021 election. Referendum 2 follows similar moves from other South American countries to limit terms on officials to cut down on corruption and to make the countries more democratic.

Referendum 2 was just one of seven questions on the ballot put forth by current President Lenin Moreno. The other proposals included rolling back oil drilling in the Amazon and the disqualification of persons engaged in corruption for being allowed to be active in politics. The other six proposals on the ballot also passed.

The referendums represent an effort by Moreno to reduce the effects of the Correa administration. Moreno has called the passage of the referendums as a “win for democracy in Ecuador.”