MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Slain candidate's party picks successor for Ecuador's elections

As a vice-presidential candidate, González Náder had pledged to work on green economy, sustainable development, and climate change

Ecuador's Movimiento Construye of slain presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio announced Saturday that his former running mate Andrea González Náder will pick up his baton for the Aug. 20 elections. Villavicencio, 59, was shot dead on Aug. 9 as he was leaving a rally in Quito after receiving threats from drug traffickers.

 “Consistent with that, the governing bodies of the movement have ratified this decision and Andrea González will be registered as candidate for the Presidency of the Republic of Ecuador,” the party said in a statement. The decision seemed the national choice after the 36-year-old was already registered to succeed Villavicencio in case of vacancy, although some analysts had expressed their doubts given González Náder's age and political experience.

The party understands that “article 99 of the Code of Democracy states that the presidential binomial is a unipersonal candidacy, therefore the Movement will replace the presidential binomial by placing Andrea González as president,” the declaration signed by Party Secretary Raúl Iván González Vascónez went on.

Movimiento Construye also said the name of the new candidate for the vice-presidency will be announced “in the next few hours” and “will be chosen from among the most trusted people who have shared the struggles of our comrade Fernando Villavicencio.”

National Electoral Council (CNE) Chief Diana Atamaint has explained that the Democracy Code allows replacing the candidacy complying with all deadlines and procedures established in the regulations in case of a candidate's death. However, the printed ballot with the eight candidates will remain unchanged, and “the votes received by the deceased candidate will be computed to his replacement.”

Hence, González Náder, an engineer in technological management with a mention in Environment, will represent the center-right party at Sunday's mandatory presidential debate organized by the CNE to address issues such as “security and integral management of the impacts of delinquency and organized crime,” it was explained.

As a vice-presidential candidate, González Náder had pledged to work on green economy, sustainable development, and climate change.