Ecuador: Tribunal Hears a Claim Against Electoral Officials

Ecuador's Electoral Contentious Tribunal (TCE) Tuesday is set to hold a hearing against members of the National Electoral Council (CNE), whom the Social Justice Movement (SJM) accused of electoral infractions.

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The lawsuit was filed against CNE President Diana Atamaint and councilors Luis Verdesoto, Enrique Pita, and Jose Cabrera. They were accused of "serious electoral offenses" for not complying with a ruling that granted new deadlines for the registration of SJM candidates.

On Monday, the TCE suspended the hearing for a second time after CNE lawmaker Byron Torres argued that an Attorney General's Office representative should attend the meeting. 

Last year, the SJM was removed by the CNE by order of the Comptroller's Office for alleged irregularities in the registration of its candidates for the upcoming elections on February 7.

However, the TCE revoked the decision and ordered a timeline extension so SJM could conduct primaries and register its candidates, including its presidential candidate Alvaro Noboa.

The delay in defining both the political organizations allowed to contest the elections and Noboa's candidacy led to complaints and contradictions between electoral authorities. 

Excluding Noboa and his running mate Gino Cornejo's ballots, the CNE Vice-President Enrique Pita confirmed the final list of presidential candidates composed of 16 competitors on Monday.

It was also approved 17 lists of candidates for the Parliament and 15 lists in the case of the Andean Supranational Assembly.