On May 14, the new mayors, prefects and other dignitaries elected on February 5 will assume their duties. Until the day before yesterday, the current administration had the legal authority to make decisions and sign contracts.

In the case of the city municipality of Quito, during the last three months it contracted works and services in the amount of 49.3 million dollars and committed the budget for 2023. 48%. Mayor Santiago Guarderas did not participate as a candidate in the recent elections. The incoming head of the council, Pabel Muñoz, will have 52% of the budget available for the remaining seven months.

Of the 221 mayors in the country, 125 were won by political alliances composed of up to 9 parties

By contrast, Guayaquil Mayor Cynthia Viteri – who did not win re-election – awarded 285 works and services for close to $10 million from February 6 to April 30. For his successor, Aquiles Álvarez, this means that 78% of the council’s budget for the rest of the year is pending execution.

By logic and responsibility, incumbent authorities cannot leave basic care for citizens without coverage or cancel vital services or works. The ethical and politically mature action is to leave the signing of contracts that are not essential and do not endanger any sector of society to the next administration.

Four of the 221 mayors elected in the elections last February are younger than 29 years old

For the rest, there are control organisms and control that will surely arrive. The State Comptroller General will do his job, as will the new administrations.

Review of accounts, fiscal reports, contracts and others is the authority of the authorities. They must be carried out completely transparently and give way to current work in the service of the community that gave them confidence in the elections.

The success of the administrations that start work on Sunday will benefit everyone and for this reason they must have support and unity beyond political flags. The elections are over, now we have to move forward. (OR)