Ecuador Thanks UNASUR for Support to Upcoming Elections

Quito, Nov 12 (Prensa Latina) Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño said he was grateful for the expected presence of observers from the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) at the February 2014 regional elections.

"We are pleased that the National Electoral Council of Ecuador (CNE) once again has the support of the UNASUR Observation Mission," Patiño said, according to a Foreign Ministry press release on Tuesday.

Patiño signed an agreement on Tuesday to guarantee privileges and immunity for UNASUR technicians who will be working as part of the elections on February 23, 2014.

The agreement also was signed by Jennifer van Dijk-Silos, president of the Surinamese Election Commission, who part of the group of experts from UNASUR and as their representative. Dijk-Silos is now chair of the organization.

Patiño also said that UNASUR is stronger in the economic, commercial and financial sense, and also in terms of institutions, political accompaniment, disaster response, intercultural relationships, and energy integration.

Yesterday, the bloc made up by Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela told the CNE that it would send an observer mission to Ecuador.

Experts will work with Ecuadorian electoral authorities, promote the exchange and generation of experience and expertise, make contact with political actors.

They will also verify the different stages of the process: administrative, legal and procedural.

The UNASUR experts will be in Ecuador as of January and will comprise three representatives of each member country of the organization.

In the February regional elections, citizens will choose 23 provincial prefects, 221 mayors, 1,305 municipal council members and 4,079 of parochial councils.

Observers also accompanied electoral authorities during the February 2013 presidential elections.

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