ce 22
January 2000) selected president following coup that deposed
President MAHUAD; Vice President Pedro PINTO Rubianes (since 28
January 2000) elected by National Congress from a slate of
candidates submitted by President NABOA; note - the president is
both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year term (no reelection); election last
held 31 May 1998; runoff election held 12 July 1998 (next to be held
NA 2002)

election results: results of the last election prior to the coup
were: Jamil MAHUAD elected president; percent of vote - 51%

note: a military-indigenous coup toppled democratically elected
President Jamil MAHAUD on 21 January 2000; the military quickly
handed power over to Vice President Gustavo NOBOA on 22 January;
National Congress then elected a new vice president from a slate of
candidates submitted by NOBOA; the new administration is scheduled
to complete the remainder of MAHAUD's term, due to expire in January
2003

Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress or Congreso
Nacional (121 seats; 79 members are popularly elected at-large
nationally to serve four-year terms; 42 members are popularly
elected by province - two per province - for four-year terms)

elections: last held 31 May 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
DP 32, PSC 27, PRE 24, ID 18, P-NP 9, FRA 5, PCE 3, MPD 2, CFP 1;
note - defections by members of National Congress are commonplace,
resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the
various parties

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (new justices are
elected by the full Supreme Court)

Political parties and leaders: Concentration of Popular Forces or
CFP [Averroes BUCARAM]; Democratic Left or ID [Rodrigo BORJA
Cevallos]; Ecuadorian Conservative Party or PCE [Sixto DURAN
Ballen]; Independent National Movement or MIN [leader NA];
Pachakutik-New Country or P-NP [Rafael PANDAM]; Popular Democracy or
DP [Ramiro RIVERA]; Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [leader NA];
Radical Alfarista Front or FRA [Fabian ALARCON, director]; Roldosist
Party or PRE [Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director]; Social Christian
Party or PSC [Jaime NEBOT Saadi, president]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Confederation of Indigenous
Nationalities of Ecuador or CO