After announcing our petition to the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Ecuador to act as electoral observers last week, Ecuador’s National Electoral Council (CNE) has approved the Progressive International’s (PI) application to send an international election observer mission to next month’s general election. The Progressive International will send a delegation comprising parliamentarians from Europe and Latin America, legal and technical experts to support the efforts of the CNE to deliver free and fair elections.

BREAKING: Ecuador's National Electoral Council (@cnegobec) has approved the @ProgIntl application to send an international delegation of parliamentarians and technical experts to help ensure free, fair, and transparent elections on 7 February 2021. pic.twitter.com/kWCEoahAC1

— Progressive International (@ProgIntl) January 12, 2021

The Progressive International applied for accreditation on the basis of overwhelming international concern for the integrity of the presidential elections in Ecuador. Given the severity of the global pandemic, the extended legal challenges to potential contenders, and the prospects of election postponement, PI’s observer mission will help ensure transparency and a peaceful electoral process in the context of these extraordinary circumstances.

A delegation convened by PI observed last year’s landmark Bolivian elections, which were carried out peacefully and successfully despite the challenging circumstances in which they took place, less than a year following a coup. Despite this successful election, concerns remain about the transparency and fairness of election observation in the region following the severe criticism of The Organization for American States (OAS) election observer mission for its role in the 2019 Bolivian coup following the first round of presidential elections.

David Adler, member of the Progressive International’s Cabinet and coordinator of the Ecuador delegation, said:

“This is a decisive moment for democracy in Ecuador and the Progressive International will contribute to the transparency of the electoral process and help secure its credibility. The Progressive International — with its members and partners throughout Latin America and the world — is particularly concerned about the integrity of Ecuador’s elections, given the challenging political, legal and public health context in which they take place.”

“We hope to witness the people of Ecuador exercise their rights freely and fairly, and to send a powerful signal in defence of democracy everywhere.”

This announcement was originally published on the Progressive International.