Ecuador: Court Approves Yaku Perez's Appeal for Vote Recount

Ecuador's Contentious Electoral Tribunal (TCE) on Monday agreed to process an appeal filed by Presidential candidate Yaku Perez to recount over 20,000 tally sheets from the first round of the elections held on Feb. 7.

RELATED:

Andres Arauz Wins the First Electoral Round in Ecuador

The Presidential candidate insisted that there was a fraud to prevent him from advancing to the second round of elections scheduled for Sunday, April 11.

The TCE will have 15 days to resolve the Pachakutik party's request, which seeks that the recount of votes will allow Perez to occupy second place instead of the CREO party candidate Guillermo Lasso, a right-wing banker who is ahead of him by a minimal percentage.

Until a ruling is issued, however, the National Electoral Council (CNE) cannot print ballots for the next round.

On March 2, the candidate filed the appeal before the TCE for electoral authorities to recount those ballots with alleged inconsistencies.

The appeal occurred amid the controversy unleashed by an alleged meeting between the Indigenous candidate and TCE judge Angel Torres in a private building in Quito. According to the Tribunal regulations, no candidate can meet with electoral judges.

CNE official results show the leftist Union For Hope Alliance (UNES) Presidential candidate Andres Arauz as the winner of the first round of elections.