In a ceremony held at the CNE headquarters, the Ecuadorian president, Guillermo Lasso, rejected the murder, the day before, of one of the candidates for mayor of the Manabita municipality of Puerto López, Omar Menéndez, of the Revolución Ciudadana movement.

The president of the CNE, Diana Atamaint, also regretted the political crime occurred last night and urged the Attorney General’s Office to investigate this type of facts that affect democracy.

Atamaint informed that the National Table of Electoral Security is activated to guarantee the process during this Sunday’s elections.

On the other hand, the Executive Chief promoted his referendum proposal which, in his opinion, responds to issues of national interest,even though several sectors of the society assured that it will not solve the most pressing problems of the country.

Some 13.4 million Ecuadorians are called to the polls to elect provincial and municipal authorities, the Council of Citizen Participation and Social Control (CPCCS) and to respond to the constitutional referendum promoted by the government.

Schools opened at 07:00 (local time) to receive voters, who in urban areas will receive seven ballots, while in rural areas there will be eight.

By means of the suffrage -which is mandatory in this nation for citizens between 18 and 65 years old- they will elect 23 prefects and vice-prefects, 221 mayors, 864 urban and 443 rural councilmen, as well as 4,109 members of parish councils.

In addition, they will define the seven members of the CPCCS and will answer the eight questions of the referendum promoted by the Executive.

This electoral appointment takes place in a context of political violence that has caused the death of at least five candidates or people linked to it, and another ten were victims of attacks, even in campaign rallies.

jrr/arm/jha/avr.