dependence:
24 May 1822 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809)

Constitution:
10 August 1998

Legal system:
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages
18-65, optional for other eligible voters

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Rafael CORREA Delgado (since 15 January
2007); Vice President Lenin MORENO (since 15 January 2007); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Rafael CORREA Delgado (since 15
January 2007); Vice President Lenin MORENO (since 15 January 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: the president and vice president are elected on the same
ticket by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve
consecutive terms); election last held 15 October 2006 with a runoff
election on 26 November 2006 (next to be held October 2010)
election results: Rafael CORREA Delgado elected president; percent
of vote - Rafael CORREA Delgado 56.7%; Alvaro NOBOA 43.3%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (100 seats;
members are elected through a party-list proportional representation
system to serve 4-year terms)
elections: last held 15 October 2006 (next to be held October 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
PRIAN 28; PSP 24; PSC 13; ID 7; PRE 6; MUPP-NP 6; RED 5; UDC 5;
other 6; 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 (according to the Constitution, new
justices are elected by the full Supreme Court; in December 2004,
however, Congress successfully replaced the entire court via a
simple-majority resolution)

Political parties and leaders:
Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM];
Democratic Left or ID [Guillermo LANDAZURI]; Ethical and Democratic
Network or RED [Leon ROLDOS]; National Action Institutional Renewal
Party or PRIAN [Alvaro NOBOA]; Pachakutik Plurinational Unity
Movement - New Country or MUPP-NP [Gilberto TALAHUA]; Patriotic
Society Party or PSP [Lucio GUTIERREZ Borbua]; Popular Democracy or
DP [Dr. Juan Manuel FUERTES]; Popular Democrat