AP: Partial Results: Ecuador to Hold Runoff

[Eugene]

Partial Results: Ecuador to Hold Runoff

By MONTE HAYES
The Associated Press
Monday, October 16, 2006; 2:33 AM

QUITO, Ecuador -- Ecuador's presidential election heads to a second
round after a banana tycoon who favors strong relations with the U.S.
narrowly defeated a leftist admirer of Venezuela's President Hugo
Chavez in the first round on Sunday.

With 60 percent of the ballots counted, Alvaro Noboa, Ecuador's
wealthiest man, surprised many political analysts by leading with 26.8
percent of Sunday's vote, compared to 22.3 percent for Rafael Correa,
the Supreme Electoral Tribunal said. Correa had topped the latest polls
before the election.

A Nov. 26 runoff had been expected as none of the 13 candidates
appeared likely to win outright in recent weeks. The winner needed
50 percent, or at least 40 percent of the valid vote and a 10-point
lead over the rest of the field to avoid a runoff.

Correa, 43, a tall and charismatic firebrand, urged his followers to keep
a close watch on the official vote count, warning that if he doesn't win,
"it means fraud and grave irregularities."

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/15/AR2006101501221.html

[K8-EEE]

1. "banana tycoon favors strong ties with the US"

Friends of the BushCo Banana Republicans no doubt!

[Judi Lynn]

2. Ecuador's leftist presidential candidate makes meteoric rise to cusp of po

Ecuador's leftist presidential candidate makes meteoric rise to cusp of power
The Associated Press

Published: October 15, 2006

QUITO, Ecuador He started out as a Boy Scout, was a volunteer worker in a poor highland Indian community and went on to earn a doctorate in economics in the United States.

Now Rafael Correa is on his way to Ecuador's presidential runoff after rattling markets with threats to slash foreign debt payments and alarming Washington by proudly declaring his bond with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez and labeling President Bush "tremendously dimwitted."

In a country where Indians make up about 4 million of Ecuador's 13 million people, Correa has drawn on his experience from two decades ago when he was a volunteer worker in an indigenous village high in the frigid Andes.

At campaign rallies, he spoke to highland Quichua-speaking Indians in their own language, pledging to punish the corrupt political class while supporters shouted, "Dale Correa!" — a play on Correa's last name — meaning "Give them the belt!"

Correa, 43, describes himself as a man of "Christian leftist" ideals.
(snip/...)

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/16/america/LA_POL_Ecuador_Election_Correa.php



Rafael Correa




Alvaro Noboa

[arcos]

3. Noboa is the worst kind of right winger...

He is a populist right winger, one of those who supports all kind of "free trade" and neoliberal policies, while buying the votes of the people with gifts. In his first run for the Presidency a few years ago he bought several mobile hospitals that were painted with his campaign logo, and sent them to go all around the country giving free healthcare to the people... which would have been great if it hadn't been a campaign ploy, but he used the most basic needs of his people to try to win an election and that's just plain wrong.

Too bad Correa ended up in second place, hopefully he'll be able to make up the difference in the runoff.

[David__77]

4. Toss out the appeasers of evil.

Neo-liberalism and nation-sellers must be destroyed. Viva Correa!

[Odin2005]

5. Noboa looks like a mafia don...

[bemildred]

6. Rerun of Peru. nt