If everything went as the proponents of the legislative agreement expected, at this moment the powers of the Assembly should have already been established and the legislative commissions possibly distributed. This would have been the case if the announced pact consisting of a joint vote of the Noboa, Correa and Nebot groups had been finalized (so personalistic is Ecuadorian politics, devoid of parties). There was not the slightest sign of an agenda supporting the pact. None of the members alluded to the goals they were aiming for or the obligations they were supposed to establish. In order to reach any agreement between two or more people, and even more so between such different political groups, goals and responsibilities must be clear. The silence about this cannot be attributed only to the hermetic style shown by the newly elected president. It’s easier to think that there must be something unmentionable, something that would go against what the majority who voted for him in the second round expected.

Whether this weakness is exacerbated or alleviated will depend on the legislative agreement that is reached.

We are probably witnessing a repeat of the alliance that ends with the election of the legislature, as happened two years ago. Let’s remember that this pact was used exclusively for those elections and was never transformed into a force to promote consensual politics, much less into a common government program. At least then there was a justification for the disintegration of the previous alliance, which revolved exclusively around the impunity of the corrupt. On the contrary, now was enough time to expose the objectives behind the belated, contradictory and false declarations of good intentions by those who never followed the rules of the democratic game. If previous experience wasn’t enough, the future president should have heeded the countless signs that heralded the seriousness of the consequences that would flow from a pact of this nature. He should also have taken into account the fact that the election race for 2025 has already started and that before taking office and according to his own declaration, he is already a candidate, that is, a political actor who will be attacked tomorrow by those who support him now.

Daniel Noboa believes that Henry Kronfle will ‘know how to lead’ the National Assembly

Certainly, at the time of writing this article, there is still a possibility that the formation of the Administrative Board of the Assembly and its commissions was achieved by a different agreement than the one that is practically structured. Undoubtedly, it would be a relief, although there would still be uncertainty about the goals and obligations of each of the signatories. We can be sure that it will not be a comprehensive pact covering the executive and the legislature, with the co-responsibility of each of its members in managing the government. Knowing the Ecuadorian political practice, it would be illusory to expect this to be the case, but at least one can hope that the exchange of stability for impunity has been put aside.

Jaime Nebot: It was time for the political class to show that it is capable of agreeing on basic issues

Due to the characteristics of the elected president and the team he is putting together in pieces and with difficulty, as well as the economic and uncertain conditions in the country, the next government will be much weaker than the current one. Whether this weakness is exacerbated or alleviated will depend on the legislative agreement that is reached. (OR)