Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Quito (Agenzia Fides) – Lenín Moreno, the candidate backed by Rafael Correa (Ecuador‘s president), was declared the winner in elections on Sunday 2 April, amid charges of fraud raised by the Opposition. With almost 97% of the votes counted, the former vice president was said to have gained two per cent more than Opposition leader, banker Guillermo Lasso. Initially, after the polling stations closed, on the basis of exit polls both candidates claimed victory. The first reports issued by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) assigned 51% to Moreno compared with 49% assigned to Lasso, who has already demanded a re-count.
The Catholic Church in Ecuador, through the national Catholic Bishops’ Conference a few days ago, had urged the people to take part in the vote: " all Catholics, whether or not members of a political party or movement, have a moral obligation to discern whether or not the thought and proposals of the candidates are compatible with the principles of faith and morals of a Christian lifestyle. For this reason they must decide if the proposals made are coherent with the moral principles rooted in human nature and present in all personal and social dimensions of life” read a report sent to Fides on the eve of the election.
(CE) (Agenzia Fides, 03/04/2017)
